


Element Water R3V3RS3 R3B1RTH

by drunkenpandaren



Series: The Elemental Collision Universe [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ben 10 Series, W.I.T.C.H., Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon), Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18443426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkenpandaren/pseuds/drunkenpandaren
Summary: Three elements of Air, Earth and Fire have been regenerated, but the final element is in turmoil. With Water being replaced by Ice, and the R3V3RS3 R3B1RTH having taken place, the world has gone completely different. The final journey has come to fruition as a dark man has come to try and stop the regeneration once and for all.





	Element Water R3V3RS3 R3B1RTH

Element Water  
R3V3RS3 R3B1RTH

=====

In the language of Meridian, there were about twenty different ways to state "You're screwed." Omi didn't know any of these, or even the basic swear words that came to Raimundo so naturally.  
So in short, when he woke up in his usual temple bed, he found himself flat on his face, instead of the semi-meditative state rolled onto his head. "OW!" proclaimed Omi, getting up to look around. "Hello? Kimiko? Clay? Raimundo? Where did everyone go?" Omi scowled. "This isn't my room!"  
Instead of the hard wood-and-stone fixings of the temple, Omi found himself in a rather comfortable room, laden with posters of famous Hong Kong superstars. A framed picture of him and the actress Gong Li was at his bedside table with a scrawled message in Cantonese. His bed was plush and soft, not the hard mat that he had grown up with, and there were various martial arts paraphernalia scattered about, including his monk uniform that sat to the side with a curious emblem on it.  
"How very strange," mused Omi. "This is not my room, nor is it my home!"  
Cautiously opening the door to his room, he sniffed at the smell of food being prepared, a rice cooker hissing downstairs and the smell of fish being cooked on a stove. Creeping down with as much stealth as he could muster (for his body did not want to respond the same way he wanted for some odd reason), he peered around the corner at the sight of a tall man, his hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore an apron while cooking but his outfit was of a casual golf shirt and pants.  
"You're up early Omi," remarked Chase Young, attending to the fish. Stirring the miso imported from Japan, he sipped it with a taste dish before turning to look curiously at Omi, the young boy so astonished at the domesticated appearance of his arch foe that his jaw dropped to the floor. Chase blinked. "Something wrong, son?"  
"SON?!" screeched Omi, the final shock barrelling into his head like a bullet. "I AM NOT YOUR SON, CHASE YOUNG! MONKEY STRIKE!"  
But instead of launching himself across the room in a move of swift agility, Omi barely could leap four feet before tipping over. Chase was immediately at his side, concern wrought over his expression. "Omi, are you okay? You didn't hit your head anything after baseball did you?"  
"I, uh…" Omi fumbled for words, the entire encounter de-railed. Chase smiled and helped him to his feet. "What is happening to me? I cannot perform my usual kicking and punching!"  
"Omi, you just started out with Master Fung at his dojo," reminded Chase. "Come along now; it's breakfast time. I'm sure Kimiko'll be waiting for you."  
"Where is Kimiko? And Clay? And Raimundo and Dojo? Where is everyone?" demanded Omi.  
"Son you're raising your voice again," reprimanded Chase.  
"Son?" Omi's eyes grew to full expression, his head exploded and he fell over, smoke pouring from his ears.  
"Omi?"

=====

The chill of ice and snow made Katara come to full awareness that morning as light streamed into her simple hut. Pushing herself to a sitting position, she grimaced, a pain lancing through her shoulder. "Katara, you're up already?" inquired Kanna, the old medicine woman of their tribe working on an herbal concoction at a small fire in the middle of the hut.  
"Gran-gran, what's…"  
"Shhh, just rest," said Kanna, helping Katara to a lying position. "You took a pretty bad fall off of that ice flow. Sokka dragged you all the way here. What on EARTH were you doing in the middle of nowhere? You know it's dangerous with the penguin-bears about. It's their mating season you know."  
"I, uh," stammered Katara, her mind awash. Wasn't she SUPPOSED to be headed towards Ba Sing Se? What was she doing back home? "Um, that is…"  
"Well far be it from me to discourage a rambunctious young girl," smiled Kanna. "Get some rest. That shoulder of yours needs healing."  
Getting up, Kanna let Sokka in as she passed by. "Hey," greeted Sokka. "Feel any better?"  
"Sokka, what's going on?" demanded Katara once her Gran-gran was out of sight. "Where's Toph and Aang? Where's Zuko for that matter?"  
"Who and what now?" inquired Sokka. "I know the last name, everyone does: Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, right? Fat freaking time to get injured Katara; Dad's going to bring us to the nation capital in a week for his birthday ceremony."  
"Why would we even THINK of just walking in there?" demanded Katara. "This is all wrong, all wrong! We're supposed to be headed to Ba Sing Se to get the Earth King's support in the war AGAINST the Fire Nation!"  
Sokka stood there, dumbfounded. "You SURE you didn't hit your head too hard? The war that Fire Lord Sozin started ended nearly seventy years ago when Avatar Aang put it down! It's basic history – even the kids know it!"  
"But… but what about Aang? What happened to the Avatar?"  
"The Avatar? He's up in the North Pole learning Waterbending. It's all the news now. I'm sure more news will come when the Air Nomads drop off the latest shipment of relief medicines. That last storm really hit our tribe hard and—HEY!"  
Desperate and confused, Katara had gotten out of her bed and pushed by Sokka to shove the door flap open. What greeted her however was a thriving city, the Southern Water Tribe in all of its glorious hey-day. People moved by each other, benders entertained children with tricks. Air Nomads bartered from atop massive Sky Bison while Earth Kingdom nationalities bent stone into stronger structures. Even the odd Fire Nation man walked by, apparently on leave as he jovially bartered some day-old cabbages with the Cabbage Guy who seemed to stalk them wherever Aang brought them.  
"This… isn't right," whispered Katara, stunned.  
"Of course it is," replied Sokka. "C'mon inside, you must have gotten hit on the head a little too hard."  
Numbly, Katara allowed herself to be lead back inside the small medical hut that her grandmother preferred to treat the locals.

=====

Irma's eyes flickered open as light streamed through the window. Pushing upwards, she yawned deeply.  
Trudging downstairs, she greeted her dad and mom and stuck her tongue out at her brother. Sitting down for food however, she was greeted by a curious headline on Tom Lair's newspaper: **Regents of Earth Defend Meridian Colony.**  
"Dad?" inquired Irma.  
"Yes?"  
"Can I see the paper when you're done?" inquired Irma.  
"Sure thing, I'm done with it now." Handing over the paper, he inquired, "Another school project?"  
"Something like that," replied Irma.  
Trying not to freak out in any way possible, Irma read over the headlines silently; words such as Regent, Meridian, and Queen Elyon popping up here and there. The gist however was obvious however as someone had declared themselves defenders of earth like a team of superheroes and had thwarted a real invasion a year ago. Since then, the ruler of the other world of Meridian, as the paper stated, Queen Elyon had managed to claim the throne and had created a regency of peace between both worlds to undo the damage her evil brother had done.  
Brow furrowed, Irma ate absently and got ready for class.  
Once outside however, she was greeted by Hay Lin, who surprisingly kissed her cheek. "So, you ready for the big Halloween dance?" the Chinese girl asked.  
"I'm sorry, what?" inquired Irma. Halloween was YESTERDAY, right?  
"Yeah, it's coming up. I hear Will finally asked Matt out and they're going as a couple. And Caleb and Cornelia? They're the talk of the town being a fairytale romance as the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Best Friend!"  
Irma blinked rapidly. Caleb and Cornelia she knew always worked but since when did Will muster the ability to even TALK straight around Matt? For that matter, when did this loopy world even make sense?  
Then it hit her: the explosion. The violet light, the strange energy, the sensation of being ripped apart painlessly… something MAGICAL happened last night and it screwed up the world.  
"Hay Lin," said Irma, pulling the girl to the side. "Are we Guardians?"  
"Guardians? Of what?" inquired Hay Lin. "The only thing Grandma has me guard is the leftovers from Napoleon."  
"Na-who? Never mind." Irma sighed. "You're going to think I'm crazy but there's something WEIRD going on here."  
"You're acting sort of weird yourself," replied Hay Lin, neatly riposting the comment. "How weird are we talking about?"  
"Very weird. So weird that this world isn't RIGHT: no one on earth is supposed to know about Meridian, Phobos still has Elyon in his clutches, it was Halloween YESTERDAY, these Guardians or Regents or whatever aren't supposed to BE here! I dunno, it's like I went to bed and woke up in the Twilight Zone!" Irma paused in mid-rant. "This isn't weirding you out is it?"  
"Not really, but I didn't get half of what you said," shrugged Hay Lin. "C'mon, lets get to class. We'll figure this out later."

=====

The Balance Has Been Upset  
 _Echo Knows This. And It Has Made Adjustments.  
 **The Regeneration Isn't Complete.  
 _We will make certain it does finish._**  
Agreed.  
 _Agreed. _  
 **Eh, why the hell not?  
 _Then we are settled._**___

_____ _

=====

The bell rang in the unfamiliar school as Omi had been perpetually late for class the entire morning. He had discovered, much to his shock that Chase was his FATHER in this strange twisted land, and that he was expected to go to high school.  
Tugging on the uncomfortable uniform, he had found himself at a school swimming with identically clad young men and skirted young women. The school was a donation from apparently Kimiko's father, and thus the girl was there as well. The school was modeled on the Japanese style, and apparently Chase preferred it for Omi to attend instead of the usual national Chinese run schools.  
But even Kimiko was different. Despite being friends with Omi, she was completely absorbed in new technology, often dialling her cell phone to call her friend (something Omi believed she had stopped doing half a year or three ago), and was, for a lack of a better word, completely self-absorbed.  
The classes wore on Omi, as he never had much use for the modern day teachings from a classroom, having only practical experience with technology. He could distinctly remember when Raimundo had played on his monk raising to screw with him, but at the same time, there were overlaps.  
Raimundo and Clay were nowhere to be found on campus, and a quick look at the student roster in the office (due to a hastily forged note from Kimiko who took pity on his newly clueless state) noted that no Clay or Raimundo attended the school. One name however was there, labelled _Spicer, Jack._  
So it was here that Omi had made his way to the computer club lab. Sliding the door open, he found himself in the room, dozens of computers humming, their screens in idle mode. At the far end, Jack sat there, typing on a keyboard with several "nerds" behind him.  
"So if you input the correct sequence here, here and there you get… voila! Instant access to the internet with all strings removed!" proclaimed Spicer. The young man still sported the shock of fire-red hair and pasty white complexion from sitting in a lab all day, but he wore the outfit of the school and there was something different about the way he carried himself despite the relaxed slump in the chair. More relaxed. Upon further notice, what Omi thought was a pasty white complexion was actually elaborate stage makeup.  
"Wow Jack, you're really good!" snorted a stereotypical nerd next to him and his goonies nodded in tandem.  
"When you got it you've got it," smirked Jack.  
 _Is it possible that Jack Spicer is the same? He seems different._ Shrugging, Omi walked over and held up a hand. "Hello, good people!"  
Jack looked over. "What's he doing here? I thought this was computer club only!"  
"I must speak with you, Jack Spicer, on a matter of most importance!" announced Omi.  
Jack pursed his lips and then turned to the nerds around him. "Guys, gimme ten minutes. I'll take care of the cue-ball."  
Obediently, they shuffled out of the room. Once they were gone, Jack drove a fist into Omi's noggin. "You idiot! No wonder you're the class idiot, you come up and talk to me when we're not supposed to be seen together?"  
Omi rubbed his bruised forehead. "What?"  
Jack sighed. "Omi, look at me. I'm one of the cool kids. You're the martial artist wannabe, the movie-nerd. We can't be seen together in public no matter how much we're friends! It'll ruin everything!"  
"O-kay?"  
Jack threw up his hands in annoyance. "Forget it. So, what's so important that you'd crash my place?"  
"Jack, this world is not what it appears to be," said Omi. "The world is all wrong, YOU are all wrong!"  
Jack blinked three times. "You've just lost me short-round."  
"Don't you understand? We're facing a crisis so important that it has twisted the entire WORLD around! AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT THIS TIME!"  
Jack wiggled a finger in his ear to clear the ringing. "Geez, hyper much? So what brought this on? Another marathon of 'World Disaster' movies?"  
"You do not remember, do you?" said Omi, crestfallen that his attempt at reasoning had failed. "You do not remember that we are mortal enemies, fighting for domination of the Shen Gong Wu! You do not remember Wuya, or Chase Young or Master Dashi?"  
Jack ticked off on his fingers. "Wuya's my mom, Chase is your dad, we're HALF-siblings, and Grand Master Dashi? He's part of the Emperor's Honor Guard right?"  
Omi fell over.  
Leaning over, Jack snapped his fingers. "Hello? Earth to Cue-ball?"  
Immediately Omi shot upwards, screaming "WE ARE FAMILY?!"  
Slapping a hand across Omi's mouth, Jack hissed, "Dude! Do you really want to tell the whole world that our parents separated after you were born? It's bad karma. Geez!"  
"But… but what about Master Fung and Dojo? Where are they?"  
"What, the Fung guy? Master Fung is your kung fu teacher and I've never heard of this Dojo guy before." Jack shrugged. "Look Omi, there's something seriously wrong with you, or this world if what you're going by. I know I'm supposed to be the cool aloof big brother but seriously dude, you have to chill."  
"But, but-!"  
"LISTEN," demanded Jack, bending over to look at his half-sibling. "I'll forge a note so you can go home and get some rest. Not like dad's going to be back before you'll get home so you're in the clear. Try not to watch any movies to break your brain further, okay?"  
Omi deflated. "All right."

=====

"Katara!"  
Katara looked up at the unfamiliar girls who came running up to her, one of them with her hair done up in ponytails on either side, the other with braids protruding from the high ponytail she wore off to the side. "Katara, you took a bad fall, you shouldn't be up!" scolded the one on the left.  
"Yeah, didn't your Gran-gran keep you from leaving?" echoed the other.  
"I, er, um, snuck out?" said Katara, feeling bewildered at the arrival of the two girls.  
The one on the left scowled. "Ka-ta-ra! You're supposed to be resting! Remember when you bumped your head and forgot us?"  
"True, true," agreed the other on the right. "DID you forget us?"  
"Er…"  
The one on the left threw her arms up in exasperation. "Another nasty head bump. Okay, Katara, since we're so nice we'll give you our names again. I'm Chena. That's Cikuq. Okay? Che-na. And Ci-kuq."  
Katara, still feeling bewildered but relieved that these nameless girls had names, sighed. "I'm sorry guys, I'm just feeling a little weirded out."  
The others traded puzzled glances at the unfamiliar term of "weirded out" as Cikuq drawled "Oo-kay. You sure you're feeling okay? We were supposed to go shopping today; the Air Nomads are in town with some pretty jewels from the Earth Kingdom."  
"Shopping, sounds like fun," said Katara faintly as the girls dragged her to the marketplace.  
Four hours later, and a pile of new things, Katara sat in her room after a stern tongue-lashing from her Gran-gran, and a disappointed but secretly amused look from her father.  
Putting her new things away, Katara sighed and looked up at the knock on the door. "Come in!"  
The door creaked open, revealing her father, Hakoda. "Is something wrong?" he inquired, shutting the door behind him. "You didn't eat very much tonight even after Gran-gran scolded you."  
"I'm okay, just not much of an appetite that's all," replied Katara. "Dad, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, as long as it's not to pester someone to loan you a sky bison," joked Hakoda.  
"Did you ever get the feeling… that this is all different somehow? Not wrong, but it's different."  
Hakoda pursed his lips and tapped his chin. In the ensuring silence, Katara shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this all weird."  
"No, no, it's fine," replied Hakoda. "Well, your mother always said that things happen for a reason. Some people wake up and feel that they need to change what they're doing. Others become a completely different person. Some people feel they need to get out and see the world. And some people often feel that their life is just right. Does that make sense to you?"  
Katara nodded. "It does. Thanks, Dad."  
"Good. Get some rest. Tomorrow, the Avatar arrives and we'll be there to meet him."  
Katara lit up. "Aang's coming?" she exclaimed, excited.  
"Yep, the Avatar is coming down here to learn the Southern Waterbending Style. I hear he's a genius at it, like he was born to be the Avatar." Hakoda chuckled. "Get some rest, Katara; tomorrow's a big day!"  
As the door shut, Katara smiled. "Aang's coming. He'll realize that this is all wrong."

=====

"Okay! I can't take this anymore!" proclaimed Irma as the girls passed by the park.  
"Take what?" inquired Hay Lin. "Seriously, Irma, you're weirding us out here!"  
"This! This, this… this NORMAL!" Irma whirled on the girls. "Hasn't it occurred to you that we haven't become Guardians in the last fifteen hours?"  
Taranee lowered her drink, adjusting her glasses. "Okay, someone's gotten a little too much sun."  
"I'm SERIOUS! Hasn't anyone remembered fighting Phobos for the last year?" demanded Irma.  
"Us? Fight El Crazy-Pants? No thank you; that's left up to the Regents," snorted Will. "Since when have you been so gung ho about fighting anyhow?"  
Irma grabbed two handfuls of her hair and tugged, groaning. "This isn't RIGHT! NOTHING IS!"  
"Uh, newsflash for you, Irma; YOU aren't right," pointed out Cornelia. "If you haven't noticed, there's nothing wrong or different about us. AT. ALL."  
"I think you need to sit down a little," added Hay Lin. "Maybe get out of the sun?"  
"UGH! FINE! I'll get out of the sun!" Irma stormed over to the nearest tree, slumped down next to it, folding her legs. "Okay, I'm out of the sun, happy?!"  
"What crawled up your butt and died today?" demanded Cornelia, storming over to glare at the red head. "You need to chill out and stop being so weird!"  
"I'm so weird? I can't imagine WHEN I've been weird," retorted Irma. "Just look at this; we haven't fought Phobos or saved a town or—"  
The rest of what she was about to say was cut off when a pair of sharp claws ripped the tree in half, splitting it down the middle like a piece of string cheese. "—or fought really big monsters," finished Irma.  
Old reactions kicked in as it swiped downwards and she pushed Cornelia out of the way, tumbling into a roll. Fingers came up in a gun-formation and she willed the water in the air to pour forth – but nothing happened.  
Irma looked at her fingers and wiggled them. "C'mon, c'mon! WORK!"  
A small pathetic stream of water answered her and her expression fell. "Oh great; I've been nerfed!"  
An enormous hand whisked down and snatched the girl from her crouch, eliciting a yelp from Irma. "HEY! Lemme down, you big galoot!"  
The monster opened its mouth and roared in her face, showering her with spit. "EEEW! Breath mint?"  
"Irma, don't tease the monster!" screeched Cornelia, as Will and Taranee pelted it with rocks; the objects bouncing off its thick hide.  
"Hold on, Irma, I'm coming!" Hay Lin picked up a stick and bravely charged it as Irma struggled in its grasp. The Chinese girl swung the branch but it caught it, snapping the wood in two before snatching up Hay Lin, who shrieked. "Help!"  
"Oh yeah, that works," snarked Irma as she tried to get free. "What next?"  
The fangs opened once more and Irma groaned. "Not eating! Why can't monsters be more creative?"  
"Because monsters wouldn't be monsters then, would they?" answered a voice. Suddenly, lightning struck it as spears of wood erupted from the ground, piercing the hands. Two forms caught the pair as they fell, leaving three more bursts of energy to finish it off.  
Irma looked up into her rescuer; a tall six foot man with long blonde hair, a well kept beard and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in a fur-lined shirt, bracers of some kind of metal and tight leather pants. Landing, he let his passenger off with a smile and in a voice that could warm her from head to toe, said, "Are you okay, miss?"  
"Y-yeah," Irma breathed.  
"Good, then it's time to dispatch this creature. Phobos must be getting desperate if he's sending pack animals to do a man's job."  
Standing fully, the man unsheathed the huge Hammer-staff on his back and raised it by the haft. Electrical power crackled at the end of it and he brought it down with a war cry.  
 _"SING, MOLJINR!" The attack split the earth as lightning crackled along the ground, crashing from the sky itself before striking the monster.  
The monster keened shrilly, backing up as another man, similar in build but dressed in black with a spider motif, long cape and hat with half-mask held up his staff horizontally. "Entangle, Mali," he whispered.  
Black strands of shadow arose, entangling the monster and engulfing it in a sphere of darkness as three more forms landed.  
"Pierce, Longinus," commanded Khor, his enormous spear flaring with arcane gravity as he hurled it into the darkness. The weapon struck true as it flailed about, the monster held to the ground by strands of violet energy.  
"Sunder, Susanoo." A flash of black wings and Shagon landed lightly upon a tree, his sword burning with red Flare.  
The monster, horribly wounded, thrashed about to try and escape the grip their magicks held upon it, but to no avail as the last member soared in on the wind, his own zanbato flashing in the light. "Freeze, Gabriel!"  
A final burst of blue light and the monster was entrapped in ice. A second later, it split apart from Shagon's strike, the two halves falling apart and exploding, the remains fading away quickly. Sheathing his sword, he turned towards the girls. "Are you ladies all right?" he inquired.  
"Just peachy," replied Will, blushing at the Regent's attention. "And you? Anything, well, hurt?"  
"No," rumbled Ananzi, shaking his head in the negative. "Phobos sent a fairly weak monster this time around. It's as if he was almost running out of power or ideas."  
"Now's not the time for that," remarked Khor, his voice startlingly deep and smooth. "You ladies should get back to your homes. I expect Phobos not to take this defeat lying down."  
"Oh, right," stammered Taranee, blushing. "Okay, let's get going everyone!"  
"Wait, wait a moment, this is all weird," snapped Irma, bringing the exit to a screeching halt. "What's going on here? What is this; why is PHOBOS sending monsters out like some kind of crazy Evil Space Alien? WHA…"  
Hyourinmaru, the last in the group glanced over at the ranting girl and nudged Thorlief. "Dude, your girlfriend's making a scene," hissed the Regent. "Go talk to her!"  
"I dunno if I can even get through that," replied Thorlief, bewildered as Irma continued her ranting tirade. "Not even Moljinr can settle this."  
"Oh for heaven's sake," grumbled Ananzi. "Slumber, Mali."  
Irma, in the middle of her tirade against the wrongness of the world, suddenly collapsed like a puppet, caught in Thorlief's arms as he had darted forward once Ananzi had used his powers to put her to sleep. "You four should look after Miss Lair," he said, his cloak falling over his shoulders as he put away Mali. "We'll keep in touch."  
The Regents took to the air and Khor sped off at super speed, leaving Thorlief holding Irma in his arms. "Um, mind pointing me in the right direction of her home?" inquired Thorlief, looking distinctly uncomfortable._

__

=====

'Dojo's Dojo," read off Omi to himself. Shrugging, he stepped inside.  
The smell of hard wood grain caught his nose. Familiar smells of chalk, wood grain and stone came to him and Omi almost felt at home. At the front of the class, Master Fung strode, often correcting a stance here and there of the large class of nameless students.  
Setting his bag down, Omi pulled out the familiar black and red of the monk clothes he wore for many a year. The only difference was that his Wudai belt was missing, replaced by a traditional black sash.  
"It is not the same," Omi said to himself, pulling the sash tight before stepping out onto the floor, pausing to bow in the tradition.  
Falling into place amidst the students, Omi slipped into the old forms. His body however was awkward, and not as limber as he should be, and often fell on his face from a complex manoeuvre. Soon however, Fung called for a break and he motioned Omi over. "Omi, you seem distracted today," said the kindly man. "Is something amiss?"  
"I have been bothered all day, Master Fung," admitted Omi, taking a swig from the sports bottle that was provided to him. "It is nothing."  
"Perhaps nothing to one man, but to another a whole different story," said Fung sagely. "Come and see me in my office after class, Omi."  
The end of class couldn't come fast enough as Omi towelled off, sweating more than he had ever done before. "I am most out of shape," panted Omi. "And to think, I play Baseball in this world? Hah!"  
Draping the towel around his neck, Omi knocked on the door of the office, entering when Fung called out to him. Inside was a simple desk, carved wood. To the side was a statue of a Chinese Dragon, although the facial features were familiar. Sitting down on the comfy chair, Omi folded his hands in front of him as Fung stood up after gazing at the young man. "Omi, is there something you'd like to say today?"  
"Yes, Master Fung. I feel confused," admitted Omi. "It is a tale of strangeness. But to me, it is all that I know."  
"Why don't you start at the beginning," said Fung. "Perhaps then we'll find out what is bothering you."  
Omi took a breath and launched into a condensed version of what he had been through. How Chase Young was not his father, how the Shen Gong Wu were there for them to protect. He told Fung about Kimiko, Clay and Raimundo, his friends, and of Dojo the dragon. All of this and more Omi spoke of, and more and more Fung listened.  
"…when I woke up this morning, everything was wrong Master Fung. Some people are here, but some are missing! No one knows of our mission, or what we must do!" Omi heaved a sigh. "I feel so lost."  
Fung considered the young man in front of him thoughtfully. It was true Omi had a great imagination, but the way the young man spoke of his problems and of this world that should not exist by his knowledge, it was impassioned and full of emotion.  
"Omi," said Fung finally, "I believe you."  
"You do?" exclaimed Omi, happily.  
"Yes, I do," smiled Fung. "In my years of being a family friend to your parents, I have never known you to lie. The emotion that is brought forth when you speak of your friends, adversaries and family cannot be disguised by mere tales. I do believe you Omi, with all my heart."  
Omi's eyes watered and he threw his arms around Fung's legs. "Oh thank you Master Fung, thank you!"  
Fung coughed, embarrassed. "In any case Omi, we should be keeping an eye out for these things. What did you call them again? Shen Gong Wu? If what you said was true that Raimundo Pedrosa was looking for a Wu that could cross worlds, perhaps you can use it to get back to your world?"  
"Raimundo, of course!" exclaimed Omi. "He must have the Cutters on him! Master Fung, I must thank you for your honest acceptance of my situation! I must go!"  
"Omi? Where are you going?" inquired Fung, surprised at Omi's sudden enthusiastic escape from his office.  
"TO RIO DE JANERO!" shouted Omi, running out the door.

=====

Katara let the water sink back into the puddle that she had located. After the day, she needed a place to sit and think.  
It had begun normally until the Prince of the Fire Nation showed up. Prince Zuko. Despite her memories of him being obsessive and an odd ally to them due to mismatched events going horribly wrong, he was as happy as a clam. Accompanying him was the Lady Ursa, Queen of the Fire Nation. Thankfully, Azula nor their father was in the entourage or Katara would have had to restrain the urge to hurl an ice spear at them.  
What really chafed at her was the way Zuko greeted her, like they were romantically involved. Certainly he was attractive without the horrible burns on his face, but at the same time he was a complete momma's boy. None of the hard edge that would have made him attractive to women (in some odd fashion) was there. Instead there was nothing but mush.  
It made Katara sick and she excused herself from lunch early.  
In the garden, she found time to practice her waterbending. While substantially weaker as if she hadn't done it in ages, the flow of chi was there, always swirling around in her body like a tempest.  
Once, twice, three times she made the water fountain upwards and on the third, froze the water with a flick of the wrist.  
Melting it down into the pool at her feet, Katara jumped at the voice that interrupted her thoughts. "You're Katara right?" Turning to the owner, Katara fought the urge to jump into Aang's arms. But even though the voice was familiar, the person was not.  
Aang was older than she was by several decades. His body was lean and fit, as benefiting the master of Air and elements. He lacked any hair on his head, his Airbender Tattoos shining in the light, but he wore a silly little goatee that looked completely out of place on his older face, the hair trimmed so that it was a straight line from his lower lip to just under his chin. Clad in blue of the Northern Water Tribe, the Avatar stepped down and floated on a cushion of air. "I'm sorry to have startled you," he said, and she found herself flushing at the same voice, but so much deeper. "I was told that the priestesses of the moon stayed in this part of the royal palace."  
"No, they're all out attending the dinner with the Fire Nation," replied Katara. "You know who I am though?"  
"Of course," smiled Aang. "You're Lady Katara, daughter of the Chief Hadoka. It's a pleasure to meet the up and coming lady of the moon."  
Briefly Katara thought to her history lessons. Before the war, the Waterbenders were subdivided into two groups. There was the Shaman who sought the nature of the water they lived on, be it either stormy and menacing, or bountiful and ready for a harvest. Then there were the Ladies of the Moon, the ones closest to the ebb and tides of the moon. They were the ones who were granted the healing powers that were said to have only flowed within the daughters of those chosen in the moonlight, or born on a full moon. "Oh, well thank you for the compliment, Avatar," said Katara, bowing.  
"It's not a problem, and please just call me Aang," said Aang warmly. "I must admit, I have not seen such raw skill before in my lifetime."  
"It sort of comes naturally to me," admitted Katara, pleased that Aang paid so much attention to her, but at the same time crushed that the boy she was in love with was a man so much older than she was. "So does the healing for that matter."  
"I wouldn't mind seeing it," said Aang.  
"Oh no, I couldn't. I haven't really practiced or anything or—EEK!"  
An ice lance had lifted up and gouged itself into Aang's arm and melting away instantly. He grinned easily. "Don't worry, it's not that bad or that deep."  
Katara felt the urge to slap him silly, but instead maintained her composure and brought up hands glittering with water. "This might sting a little," she warned, working her hands across his well-muscled bicep.  
The wound closed and the blood cleaned. Aang flexed his hand and checked his arm. "Well done," he said, still smiling. "You're a great priestess."  
"I couldn't have done it without some motivation," glared Katara. To which Aang laughed heartily. "It's not funny! What if you missed and hit something important?"  
"Then I suppose I would have had a cute nurse to patch me up," chuckled Aang. Katara's face turned absolutely red in embarrassment.  
"You… JERK!"  
In two seconds, the Avatar found himself on his backside, nursing his cheek from an astoundingly strong punch as Katara ran out of the pools, face flushed. "I think I deserved that," he muttered to himself, still grinning.

=====

"Ha!" Omi adjusted his stance and thrust out his hand again. "HAH!"  
"Omi?" inquired Chase from the door. The older man was dressed for bed in flannel pants and a t-shirt. "Omi, you should go to bed. It's getting late."  
"I cannot sleep," replied Omi, punching and kicking at an invisible opponent. "Please father, let me stay outside just for a while longer."  
"Thirty minutes, no more," smiled Chase, pleased that his son was taking his training so seriously. "Even up and coming martial artists require their rest."  
Chase left, and Omi returned to his shadow boxing. It had been a startling blow to realize soon after leaving Dojo's Dojo that he had no means of transportation to get to Rio. Frustration had bubbled over and Omi resumed to doing what he did best; shadow fighting and honing his skills in the backyard.  
Thrust, kick, block.  
Omi, so engrossed in his training that he barely sensed the form that coalesced out of the earth. But what he did feel was the rumble in the ground. Throwing himself to the side in a clumsy move, Omi looked over his shoulder at the form that stood there.  
A woman, barely five feet tall stood there, the moonlight glinting off her glasses. "Chosen of Water," she intoned, "your defeat is to be calculated in numbers and words."  
Without further preamble, the woman slammed her fist into the ground. The ground heaved upwards in an erupting trail of earth and rock. Omi got to his feet just in time to dodge the linear attack as he closed the distance between them.  
There were no words as the pair traded blows. Omi, already tired from his training, blocked a blow that seemed like stopping a stone fist. More and more attacks rained down on each person, some slipping through his guard. A solid punch broke through his defences and he skidded backwards, just as the woman slammed her hand to the ground, causing the earth to buckle and heave towards him in a fountain of rock.  
Omi crossed his arms to guard from it, and six dots appeared on his forehead…

=====

Water clashed against air, spinning and freezing as it did so.  
Katara skidded backwards, one hand already coiling the chi needed to bend another whip of water. "Who are you and why are you doing this?" demanded the girl.  
"Everything has a time and place for it," replied the woman in green and the creature around her shoulders squeaked in agreement. Choosing not to follow up her answer with words, she held out a hand, palm first.  
A torrent of wind blasted forward, causing Katara to try and keep her footing on the sheer ice bridge that composed the walkway between the towers. Bending the water in the air, she loosed a torrent to match the freezing wind.  
Back and back some more, the girl was pushed back by the excessive near-hurricane force. _It's like fighting Aang at full power,_ thought Katara, gritting her teeth.  
Dropping to her knee, Katara spun low, cutting the ice from the bridge to spin into liquid. The water raced across the ground and the woman was forced to abandon her attack. Instead, leaping into the air where she held up a hand in a knife-like position. Wind twisted around it and she dove at Katara who was trying to regain her footing unsteadily.

=====

Fire flashed, searing and burning.  
Irma ducked into a roll to avoid the gout of flame and was caught in the stomach by a vicious kick. "Hey, get up! You're not supposed to fold after one punch!" sneered the woman as Irma threw up, emptying her stomach.  
Wiping bile from her mouth, Irma folded her hands into a gun shape and willed water into existence. It was pathetically weak for what she could muster up, and the woman slapped the annoying burst of liquid away with a hand, the water hissing immediately into steam. "Come now," said the woman, that same vicious grin on her face apparent. "You should know better than that. Think, McFly!"  
An enormous fireball crackled into existence, the heat searing Irma even from twenty meters away. "Bring out the warrior I know exists," she commanded, hurling the ball of flame.  
Irma scrambled to get out of the way, but suddenly the ground turned sticky under her feet. The young Lair fell to the ground, entrapped in sticky tar as the flames rushed towards her.  
 **NO!**

=====

Earth crashed against a torrent of water as Omi leapt high into the air, his six dots glowing as he made a hand sign. "Wudai Neptune – ICE!"  
Spears of ice lanced down at his assailant who was forced to dodge. Omi was immediately upon her, kicking and punching with a ferocity that belayed his size. A sharp kick caught the woman under the chin and she was launched into the air.  
Omi leapt after her and then with a hand, drilled a spinning ice ball into her stomach. The woman crashed into the garden as he landed, the dots fading from his forehead. "Give up, unknown attacker. Or I, Omi – Dragon of the Water will defeat you soundly!"  
The woman stood, but instead of resuming her attack stance, started to laugh. Omi's expression turned from angered to quizzical in a heartbeat. "What? Why do you laugh?"  
"Oh, Omi," said the woman fondly, picking herself out of the garden. "You do remember everything. I'm not here to fight you, only to bring the inner warrior back out. Come now with me."  
A shining portal opened up behind her and she held out her hand. Cautiously, Omi took it and the pair slipped through.  
Emerging into a land of ice and snow, Aussa folded her jacket around herself. "Wrynn, are you done?" inquired the woman.  
"Just fine and dandy," proclaimed Wrynn, despite being encased up to the neck in an ice prison. "She's woken up her spirit too!"  
Katara looked up, panting. Her hair had come undone from its braids and her shoulder raw with a wound. But other than that, the girl looked very pleased at herself. "So this was a test, like Wrynn said," said Katara.  
"More or less," replied Wrynn and she shattered the ice prison effortlessly. "Come now, Katara, you are needed."  
Shakily, Katara got to her feet as Aussa opened another portal.  
Upon emerging from the portal, Wrynn whistled at the literal warzone that Hiita had created in her efforts to test Irma Lair. Aforementioned girl was still stuck in the tar but Hiita looked like a drowned rat. A pair of burst fire hydrants still trickled from Irma's effort in drenching the woman. "Whoa Nellie," proclaimed Aussa. "She really did a number on you."  
"Just help me up," groused the mistress of fire as Omi and Katara helped Irma out of the tar. "Great, I've got water in places I'm sure I didn't have."  
"Got any idea what this is about?" inquired Katara of Irma who shook her head.  
"Got me. She just popped up and attacked me." Irma regarded Omi. "Hey, you're the Cueball, aren't you?"  
"Uh… maybe? OW!" Omi held his head as Irma glared at him. "Whatever was that for?"  
"Destroying the world," said Irma, shaking her fist at him.  
"Children," rang out Hiita and the trio turned towards them. "Enough. We're here to help you three along, not bring you together to beat each other up."  
"Echo has not finished its regeneration," said Wyrnn in her airy tone. "The path of water must be opened, and with it, the regeneration finished."  
"You three must do this," said Aussa. "Only then we will be able to restore the world to its rightful form."  
"Well here we go again," sighed Irma as Katara pursed her lips.  
"So if we open this 'path of water' then we'll be able to go back to our original homes," mused Katara.  
"Anything would be better, I agree," nodded Irma. "You in, Omi?"  
"I would not be anything less of a Wudai Warrior if I did not," stated Omi frankly.  
"You three have awoken your respective powers," said Hiita, folding her arms. "Now then, you three must journey to the most powerful sources of water in your respective lands."  
"Irma, you must journey to the Springs Between Roads," said Hiita, presenting the girl with a map that when unfurled, made no sense whatsoever. "Follow the map, despite its strange directions, and you will be lead to the source of water within."  
"Omi," said Aussa, holding up a divining rod in her hands. "Use this to find your source of water, the ancient Fountain of Youth."  
"And Katara, take the road you once followed. There, at the springs of the moon and the sea, draw Spirit Water from its pool," finished Wrynn. "When you have retrieved the water, you will be drawn to Echo and greeted by our fourth sister."  
"But be forewarned," informed Aussa. "You may encounter forces beyond your comprehension. The Monarchs begin to stir, and the darkness and light have begun to awaken as well. Too far has the shadow stretched into the light and dark, coloring both within."  
"And now, get a move on you three," said Hiita. "Get a move on, chop chop!"

=====

Katara road on Appa, the comfort of the saddle on the big Sky Bison's back felt good. Appa himself had greeted Katara with a large Bison lick, giving the notion that some things were just universal. The lack of Momo was a little discomforting, but the little lemur was said to be terrorizing the marketplace of the Southern Water Tribe.  
Along with her was Sokka, the elder teen having nothing to do but to tag along with the world famous Avatar Aang. Aang himself sat perched on Appa's head in his usual spot, looking so familiar but so different at the same time.  
"How much longer do we have till we arrive at the Northern Water Tribe?" inquired Sokka, already bored with the task of keeping an eye on nothing and everything.  
"Sokka, we just started out," chided Katara. "It'll take us a while to arrive."  
Aang laughed. "Don't worry about that; Appa and I can move faster than any Sky Bison-Airbender team in the world. We'll be there in two weeks instead of the usual month, provided we don't stop at every twist and turn in the bend."  
Katara had to redden at that. When they had initially begun their journey, it had indeed taken them nearly three months to arrive when one could make a straight line journey with a Sky Bison in two weeks, barring refuelling stations otherwise known as Appa is Hungry. Need Food. But then again, they WERE being chased by Zuko at every port and/or touchdown.  
And then there was Sozin's Comet, something that they had no need to take care of. The peace was nothing short of relaxing; something that put Katara slightly on edge.  
"Hey, can we at least make one or two stops on the way there?" inquired Katara curiously. "You know, so that we can tell our friends stories and bring back stuff?"  
"Well I don't see the harm, and we make good time anyhow. Got an idea where to visit?" inquired Aang.  
Katara grinned. "Well… Kyoshi Island is nice this time of year…"  
At the very least, Katara would enjoy the trip and see Sokka fall for Suki and stumble around like a lovesick fool. And maybe visit Toph. Lord knows what kind of life the blind Earthbender might have seeing how they would never inevitably meet.

=====

"This is weird," affirmed Omi as he watched the Heatblast alien battle it out with the "Idiot of the Day" as Kimiko put it.  
At random chance, Omi had managed to score a ride on a passerby RV on the way out of Heatherfield who were headed to Florida. It would take nearly two weeks, the estimated amount of time that would take Katara and Irma to reach their targets.  
The residents of the RV, affectionately referred to as the Rustbucket, was a large man in his early sixties or so wearing a red Hawaiian shirt that never seemed to be changed, only washed repeatedly. His two juvenile passengers were respectively Gwen and Ben Tennyson, cousins by the sound of it.  
Ben was a loud-mouthed, action crazy comic book hero type kid, the one who enjoyed these kinds of functions. Gwen was the school aged karate expert who took books to a whole new level.  
BUT as luck would have it, Omi had fallen into the weirdo crowd. Which apparently was par for the course as usual.  
"Does this happen often?" inquired Omi of Grandpa Max who was busy assisting the kids fight the big alien thing.  
"It's about standard for this summer trip," remarked Max, casually suiting up a large weapon on his shoulder. "Now I know this might look a little weird…"  
"Try WAY out of there," stated Ben as Gwen took another pounding from the goo-alien.  
"But we've got a perfectly good explanation about this," added Max. "Lend a hand?"  
Omi shrugged. And then, exclaimed "WUDAI NEPTUNE! – WATER!"  
The goo alien suddenly was blasted by freezing water as Omi smiled, dusting his hands. "And that is the way you punch it high school!"  
"…" proclaimed Ben and Gwen. And then Ben said, "Uuuuh, do you mean 'Kick it Old School?"  
"THAT TOO!"

=====

"It's been three hours and I feel lost," griped Irma, in the middle of nowhere of getting towards her goal.  
Currently the map had leaded her all around Heatherfield as far as she could walk. Even skipping class hadn't yielded any results, and once or twice, she had to be picked up by Thorlief who seemingly liked to pop in at times with soup or sandwiches.  
Heaving a sigh, Irma sat down on a bench in the park. "Geez, you'd think a map would make an effort to MAKE SENSE!" she bellowed the last part at the map.  
The map seemingly twisted about into the shape of a tongue giving someone the raspberry. Irma squinted at the markings. Nope, that was just her imagination.  
The smell of ozone alerted Irma to the presence of Thorleif who had teleported in. "Hey," she said, waving a hand carelessly.  
"I brought you a sandwich," said Thorleif, handing over the food to Irma. "And a couple of frozen juice boxes and a few power bars – from your mother I mean."  
Irma looked up at Thorleif who looked fairly awkward, rubbing the back of his neck and shuffling his metal toed boots in the ground. "Sit down before you awkward yourself to death," she ordered.  
Thorleif did so. "Awkward yourself to death?" he repeated. "I had no idea that you were making up new phrases today."  
"Just… ugh." Irma bit into the sandwich and held out the map under Thorleif's nose. "What does THAT look to you?"  
Thorleif's eyes crossed as he took the paper from her, holding it out properly. "Uhhh, a bunch of squiggles," he surmised.  
"It's a MAP," snapped Irma.  
"Really badly drawn map," said Thorleif finally. "It looks like a three year old drew on it… and then stepped on it for good measure."  
"Maybe I'm going about this all wrong," said Irma, snagging the paper and holding it up to the sun. "I've tried following the directions but I keep going in circles. Some of them don't make any sense."  
"Can't be that bad," remarked Thorleif, encouragingly. "Did you try to follow it in a different way?"  
Irma gave him a level stare. "Yesterday, the path led to the entrance of a SEPTIC TANK. THAT is where I draw the line."  
Thorleif winced. "Yipes."  
Irma hung her head. "Seriously, I have no idea where this damn thing leads. I don't know how to decipher it, I've tried everything short of throwing it into a fireplace and seeing if it comes out with Evil Tongue that says "Phobos is a Booger Brain"."  
Thorleif took it as Irma continued to rant. Despite his appearance, Thorleif was the smartest of the Regents, having been pulling a straight-A average for years before he had been chosen to become the Regent of Lightning.  
Peering at the map from all angles, he wiggled it, blew on it, and danced lightning over the edges as Irma continued to vent her frustrations to the air. Finally, he hit pay dirt as the scribbles started to make sense.  
"It's not random lines," said Thorleif. "They're WORDS."  
"Wait, what now?"  
Thorleif took the map, unfurling it and holding it down with rocks from the garden behind them. Smoothing it, he pointed. "Look. Once you start following the messy lines that lead everywhere around the map of the city, words begin to form. Like connect the dots."  
Pulling a red marker from his pants pocket, Thorleif started to mark out the scribbles. "Now if you connect the points where they deliberately criss-cross onto the map, they all come out as street addresses too. And when you put it together, it reads…"  
"Tide Park, 1123 Auburn Road," read out Irma, realizing. "So even if I was following the random scribbles, I did find myself here, in the park way too much!"  
"That means whatever you're looking for is HERE, in the area. Now if you join the intersections of the lines crossing the park, you're looking for…" Thorleif joined the lines. "HERE."  
"The pond," said Irma finally. "It's there, the water I'm looking for."  
"Water?" repeated Thorleif. "This is all about water?"  
"Yeah," said Irma absently. "Here. Hold onto the map for me, will ya?"  
With that, Irma took off towards the pond.

=====

Omi carefully capped a small vial of the precious water. With most of it gone and both Ben and Max Tennyson resting up from their crazy de-aging ordeal, that left Omi to finally get his quest done.  
It hadn't been easy, considering so many people wanted the water for their very own. It was good that no one had died in the ensuring violence, but the water had been scattered to the winds. "So you're going now?" inquired Gwen, miraculously left unscathed from the madness that had ensured over Hex's attempt at taking the water. "At least let us drive you back when we're headed in the direction."  
"I must go," said Omi, shaking his head. "The mission is very important to give up this far into it. The fate of the world rests upon the water."  
Gwen nodded, giving the equally small teen a hug. "Hey, keep in touch," she said. "I'll let the dweeb and Grandpa know that you're heading out."  
Omi nodded, bowed in the Xiaolin way and said, "I must be off. A very good trip to you and may you have more adventures in the time yet to come. WUDAI NEPTUNE – WATER!"  
Like a torpedo, Omi blasted into the air, propelled by the force of water jets from his hands and feet.  
But then, just as Omi began to steady his flight, a form cloaked in black appeared before him, causing Omi to suddenly drop to the ground in surprise. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," said the man in black. "My apologies."  
"Hey, you okay?" called out Gwen as Omi got to his feet. She then whirled on the man who stood there, not paying attention. "What's the big idea popping out of nowhere?!"  
"Oh?" said the man, taking interest in Gwen's ire. "My goodness, an Anodite. How peculiar. It seems you have the SPARK but not the training or the inclination. Must be that little bauble on your wrist. And the fact that everything is topsy turvy."  
Gwen's hand immediately went to her wrist, covering the Omnitrix. "If you're looking for the Omnitrix, you'll be sorry."  
The man chuckled. "Dear me, I wouldn't dream of separating you from your precious little trinket. By all means, hold onto it. No. What I'm more interested… is this."  
Holding out his hand, the vial slipped from Omi's shirt and sped towards his open hand, only to suddenly abort as Omi leaped at him, yelling "POUNCING LIKE THE TIGER!"  
The man faded backwards, letting the vial drop into Omi's hands. "Well done, Dragon of the Water, I barely sensed you moving."  
"You will stop right there," demanded Omi. "This water is very precious! I cannot allow you to take it from me!"  
"Gwen! Omi!" yelled Ben and Max, running up to them from the Rustbucket. Both were back to their normal ages and were spoiling for a fight. "What's going on?"  
"We can't have interruptions," stated the man, waving his hand. A black wall of energy encircled the pair, stopping them short.  
"GRANDPA! BEN!" yelled Gwen. Whirling on the man, she exclaimed, "Let them go!"  
"Not until I have a little talk with the young man," said the man smoothly. "Then I will let them go."  
"I must warn you, I am a Wudai Warrior! I will not go down so easily!" proclaimed Omi, sliding into an easy ready stance. "This water is very important to me, and I cannot risk its harm!"  
The man smirked faintly. "We'll see." Holding out his hand, he began to chant. "Schwarzes Feuer, das das Land reinigt, beachten den Anruf. Erfassen Sie in meinen Händen und verschlingen Sie den Himmel!"  
"What's he saying?" demanded Ben from inside the dome.  
"Sounds German," said Max, trying to listen into the man's words.  
Omi, despite the language, recognised the timber and the flow of the words. He had seen it too much in his lifetime, despite it being a rare occasion. "A spell! Move!"  
"Schwärzen Sie Hammer!" yelled the man, swinging his hand downwards, a black hammer of energy slamming down where Gwen and Omi once stood.  
Gwen skidded along the land, twisting the Omnitrix in one smooth motion as she slammed her hand down on it. Rolling to her feet as Four-Arms, she immediately ducked another spell that rocked over her head. "This day just keeps getting better and better," growled Gwen as she charged the man in black, Omi flying in with an ice-laden kick.

=====

Aang rolled to his feet, crushing the ground beneath him, hurling the ice spears in one smooth motion. To his left, Katara ducked and weaved, her arms covered in water as she wielded it with the precision of a master bender.  
Their opponent, a man in black had appeared out of nowhere when they had attempted to leave the Spirit Oasis. He had barred Sokka from entering, so he had been forced to go and retrieve help.  
"My fight isn't with you, Avatar Aang," repeated the man drolly. "It's with the young girl. I do so need that Spirit Water she has at her side."  
"Hmph, well I don't know of any person who would go around attacking cute girls," replied Aang with a wry grin on his face. Changing tactics, he fired multiple bursts of flame and followed it up with a kick to the ground that went straight into the earth deep below. The man was forced to dodge a series of spires of rock that ripped straight up through the ice and snow that composed the area.  
"Your power is impressive," allowed the nameless man as he blocked the attack from Katara who had launched her own assault while Aang was engaging him in witty repertoire. "You are truly a master of your elements, Avatar."  
Aang smirked at that. "Of course, but then again, why proclaim something by talk when we can discuss this like adults?"  
"Indeed." And the fight was on again.  
As Katara fought alongside Aang, she definitely noticed several things about him. Despite his Airbender upbringing and his adherence to traditions, Aang was worldly, as if he hadn't achieved the enlightenment of his people who had detached themselves from the world. His moves were powerful, measured, and filled with fight-ending force.  
This Aang wasn't averse to killing someone. And, that thought alone frightened Katara as she realized just how Aang ended the war seventy years ago.  
Spears of ice and pelting hail showered the man as Aang leaped into the center of the storm, whipping a blade of flame around. The man blocked it calmly with an outstretched hand and something in Aang's expression changed.  
Landing, Aang doused the flame and proclaimed, "You're not here, are you?"  
"Mmmm quite observant; it took you shorter to figure that out."  
"Wait, what?" inquired Katara. "How is he not here when he's here, fighting us?"  
"Like a walk in the spirit world, he's somehow detached from this world," surmised Aang as the man floated in front of them. "He's not here, but yet I feel his presence. It's strong, powerful, and I have to admit, I've never felt anything like this before. It's like he's projecting his spirit here from somewhere ELSE."  
"Very good," said the man. "You figured it out. Congratulations. Now then, I really must be going."  
With a wave of his hand, he dissipated the black barrier across the door and swept towards the door.  
"WAIT!" called out Katara, making him pause. "What's your name?"  
The man's lips twitched upwards. "Kunel," he said. "Kunel Sanders."  
With that, the man named "Kunel Sanders" stepped through the door, and was gone.

=====

Irma couldn't breathe, the man having cut off her air, leaving her in the middle of the water, face down.  
'Got to break free!' Irma tried to struggle as the man yawned.  
"Oh give it a rest," he sighed. "There's nothing you can really do against this."  
"SING MOLJINR!"  
The concentration of the apparition before them shattered, the black barrier breaking as Irma coughed and hacked, hands groping for the water bottle that she had collected the silvery liquid within. Facing off against the man was Thorleif, looking exhausted. "You foul creature, you dare show your face around here?"  
"My my, Thorleif of the Five Regents," drawled the man. "I must admit that you've been a pain in my side for quite some time, hmm?"  
Thorleif shifted into a combat stance as the man chuckled. "Oh no, I'm not going to fight you right now. Not here. This is Holy Land. It would be a shame if the Great Lion's water was damaged. No, we'll fight again."  
Vanishing from sight, Thorleif helped Irma to her feet as she took long gasps of air. "Thanks," managed Irma. "Who was that guy?"  
"The Black Man," said Thorleif. "We don't know where he came from, but one day just showed up. Sometimes he fights us, sometimes not. All we know is that he's a pain in the ass – and hates Phobos. That's good enough for me. Although, this is the first time he's attacked us. What'd he want?"  
"This," said Irma, holding up the water bottle, the silver liquid within it. "Water drawn from this lake. He doesn't want me to have it."  
Thorleif shrugged. "I have no idea what this water is, or where this place is anyhow. C'mon, let's get out of here."  
"Do we have to go through the water again?" inquired Irma, a sheepish expression on her face. Thorleif gave her a look and she sighed before plunging deep into the cool water.  
For a long moment, it seemed that no sunlight would ever break through the gloom, but then the water abruptly lightened and Irma kicked off, surfacing with a loud gasp for air. Thorleif followed, looking like a wet, bedraggled Viking in fur. The sight of his handsome frame soaked with water made Irma blush and she got out of the water before anything else could go wrong.  
"Where to now?" inquired Thorleif curiously as he wrung out his fur lined shirt.  
"Somewhere," replied Irma absently, gazing around. There had to be something out of place – something that would tell her where to go next.  
Then it struck her, quite literally.  
Irma clutched her forehead as the brick had come out of nowhere, and she pinwheeled backwards before landing on her backside. "HEY!" roared Thorleif at the pair of kids from Meridian who ran off giggling. "Man, kids these days. Can't we at least keep them from throwing bricks at people randomly?"  
Irma looked up, rubbing her forehead. "Man, that's some impact," she grumbled. "Good thing I have a hard head. Oh look: a summons."  
Thorleif looked down at the object on the ground. While it was brick-shaped, it was a stone of a pale blue color with a symbol on it. "Huh, weird that," he remarked, picking it up and hefting it. "Here."  
Holding it out for Irma, Irma sighed, placed her hand on the brick –  
And two seconds later, Thorleif looked down at the ground that was quickly racing up to meet them. "I take it this isn't normal?" he replied calmly, unhooking his hammer from his back.  
"…" proclaimed Irma, more out of shock that Thorleif had come along for the ride.  
 _FOOM!_  
In an explosion of lightning meeting ice, the pair plummeted into frigid water for the briefest moments before the water itself bubbled upwards, heating quickly and moved by someone standing there.  
"About time you two showed up," said Katara as Aang waterbent the liquid under them to deposit them safely.  
"Wait, what's going on here?" inquired Irma curiously, gazing at the pair who had greeted them. "And who's the bald guy?"  
Aang chuckled. "Avatar Aang, nice to meet you, Irma Lair. And your companion?"  
"Thorleif of the Regents of Earth," replied Thorleif. "What is this place?"  
"Echo," answered the voice of Omi who had somehow snuck up on everyone else. Beside him was a girl, taller than he was but wore her hair in a neat style, red in color. "Everyone, this is Gwen Tennyson."  
"Hey all," said Gwen, waving a little.  
"Okay, this is odd, even by our standards," stated Irma. "WHY did we get tag-alongs?"  
"I'm guessing we can't do this alone," said Katara. "You all got attacked by him, didn't you? Kunel Sanders?"  
"If you mean the black robed freak that just tried to pulp us back on the farm, yeah, we saw him," said Gwen.  
"He was most ruthless. Harnessed powers, neither chi nor element. I fear the worst is yet to come," intoned Omi.  
"Oh you've got that right," said the familiar voice. People whirled on the Black Man, Kunel Sanders who floated there, hands in his pockets. "And here I was wondering why you didn't show up on time. But now I know: those sisters decided to pull protectors for you. Guardians to Guard the Guardian."  
Aang stepped forward, holding a hand to the side. "Everyone stay back," he ordered.  
Sanders looked amused as Aang focused his chi, and then, whipped his hands forward. Twinned blades of ice launched out at Sanders – and split him in half.  
Katara let out a sharp shriek and Irma gaped. Omi's eyes were wide and Gwen's expression was nothing short of horrified. Thorleif seemed to be unbothered by the quick brutal attack, but his eyes told something else.  
"Interesting," said the damningly amused voice behind them. "I was wondering if you could even go through with it, Avatar Aang. Then I realized you're different from the RealVerse You."  
Aang scowled. "What do you mean, RealVerse me? Talk!"  
Sanders laughed. "Oh, but what a shame. This is all but an illusion, thrown together by Chaos itself. The powers that you see before you are done and undone in an instant. This world, this Reverse Rebirth, is what happened from it. Everything you know is wrong, but the people are the same. Given a choice, would you rather stay here, comfortable? There's no war. The Fire Lord was defeated years ago. Ozai the tyrant never existed. And the Dragon of the West is your most loyal friend."  
Aang hesitated for a moment and Sanders was there, in his face, smiling. But instead of striking, he moved on.  
"Gwen Tennyson. Such a powerful destiny lay before you. But what about now? Why do you have the Omnitrix, the most powerful alien device in the cosmos? Even after it managed to find its way onto your Grandpa Max's wrist, you managed to take it back." Sanders made a clucking noise. "You were scared. Scared that the power within you will forever sleep."  
Gwen scowled as she hovered a hand over her arm protectively. "Leave me and my family out of this."  
Sanders straightened up, smiling. "And at last we come to Thorleif. Powerful. Respected. You and your four Regent friends managed to create a world where the two realms can co-exist together. But for how long? How long will it be until the Heart of Earth must be returned to its rightful owner? You and your friends are powered on the will of but a child! The Hale girl, the younger one. Without it, what would you be?" Sanders leered. "Just. Martin. Tubbs."  
Irma stared at Thorleif. "Martin?"  
Thorleif nodded. "Yeah, it's me. I thought you'd be mad if you found out this way but…"  
"But?"  
"I knew you'd be all right with it, in the end," finished Thorleif as he unslung his weapon. "YOU! Sanders or whatever the hell your name is. Stop with the mind games. Come, face the Master of Lightning, the Lord of Thunder."  
Sanders laughed. "Oh but not today!" Without warning he vanished and reappeared. "Come Gravity," he intoned, and six giant balls of energy erupted around the six people.  
"Hey, what the?!" proclaimed Irma. "Let us out of here!"  
"No can do sweetie. The Regeneration is a big no-no. I'm afraid you'll have to be scattered. HOI!"  
In six different directions, the balls scattered.

=====

"Katara? Wake up!"  
Katara sat up, holding her head. "Wha? Who's there?"  
"Hey, lay still. You had a nasty blow to the head," said Thorleif, or rather Martin Tubbs. He had depowered himself and had set up a campfire. "We got separated by that whack-job Sanders. I think Omi and Aang were hurled to the north and Irma and Gwen to the east. We wound up here, in the west."  
Katara examined Martin in the firelight. It had already gotten dark, but she could make out his features. Glasses with a sharp profile, topped off with short brown hair. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, and next to him was a small camping bag. "Where'd that come from?" inquired Katara curiously.  
"Oh, it was on me when I turned into Thorleif," replied Martin, handing her a small tin of food. "Sorry it's not much, but I had to warm beans over the fire. The guys and I were going to go on a hike when this all started…"  
Katara spooned up the baked beans and found it to be edible. Martin dug into his own beans and the pair ate in silence.  
Finding the silence uncomfortable, Martin cleared his throat. "So um, Katara right? What's with the really intense guy that you were with?"  
"Oh," said Katara. "That's Aang. Avatar Aang."  
"You don't sound pleased to talk about him," mused Martin quietly. "What's up?"  
Katara let out a sigh. "Back in my or OUR world, I don't know. In any case, Aang's been trying to master all of the elements before Sozin's Comet arrives. But even despite that, we need to get to Ba Sing Se to get the Earth King's support for the war."  
Martin nodded slowly. "Sounds to me though that you've got more issues."  
"I do. I just don't know what to think about Aang right now. There's only ONE way that Aang could have ended the war so effectively, and that was to KILL Fire Lord Sozin. Before getting frozen in an iceberg." Katara let the fork rest on the tin and she folded her hands around it, as if trying to absorb the heat from it even though the metal had cooled since. "Aang NEVER kills. He believes life is precious and yet…"  
"He did," summed up Martin. "Katara, I know it's not my place to say what he should or can't do, but in this world, this is all we know. When me and the four other Regents were chosen to become what we are today, we too were in a state of crisis. Oh sure it seemed peaceful enough, but Phobos had gathered so much more power. And what's worse, he shattered the Heart of Kandrakar, scattering it across the universe. When Lillian Hale gave us our powers, we learned we had to adapt." Martin shrugged. "It wasn't easy at first, but we managed."  
"So you've killed," said Katara.  
Martin nodded. "Yeah, Phobos forced us into an ugly position, targeted our families, the people who we cared for. We killed his most loyal subject, Cedric. And you know what's funny? Cedric THANKED us: said that it was better to die free than be led by a fool like Phobos. Make no mistake, Phobos is dangerous, but he's also egocentric. The whole ego issue has thrown a lot of deadly situations up against us."  
Looking up at the stars, Martin added, "We'll have to head out in the morning, so we need some sleep. This place is going to get nasty-cold in the daytime."  
Katara blinked. "Shouldn't it be really cold right now?"  
Martin chuckled. "Are you kidding? This place is all topsy turvy: we're sitting on an ice flow that feels like a warm soft bed."  
Katara blinked, poked the ground and found it yielding. "That IS weird."

=====

"I hope Grandpa and Ben don't get upset when I never get home," grumbled Gwen as she and Irma hiked through the chilly tundra that seemed to go on for eternity. Mountains and other frozen flora and fauna dotted the way, but the pair were shivering, dressed for the summer.  
"You and me both," grumbled Irma. "Can't you use that Omnitrix to find us something to use for heat?"  
Gwen blew into her hands, rubbing the fingers. "No I can't," she sighed. "What happens if we get attacked by some kind of creature? I wouldn't be able to use the watch since it would be on cooldown."  
"Oh joy," chattered Irma. "When we get to the next island thingy, we'll be frozen girlsicles. I hope someone likes their food cold."  
"Just calm down and focus," shivered Gwen. "And is it me, or is it getting COLDER as the day goes on?"  
"Colder," affirmed Irma as the pair rounded a large cropping of ice. "Hey, a village!"  
"Great, we can just ask the penguins for directions."  
Upon closer inspection, the island seemed deserted. Despite the tropical appearance to it, it was sheeted with ice and snow. A long loading dock stretched out past the pair as they trudged up to land. "Where's the inn?" coughed Gwen.  
Irma cupped her hands to her mouth. "HEY! ANYONE HERE?! HELLO!"  
Finally, a door creaked open and a blue hand waved them inside. The girls, without options, scampered to the door and slid inside before the door was bolted. Inside the room, it felt like a sauna, something they were appreciative for as thick blankets came down around their shoulders. "You kids are lucky to be alive," said a matronly voice that belonged to a tall woman. No, not a woman, some kind of mermaid who floated in place. "Come along kids, you need something hot in you."  
"Where is this place?" shivered Gwen as she was plopped down in front of a roaring fire that sat in the middle of the room. A literal bonfire, the pair felt their hands and faces heating up rapidly as the woman forced two mugs of cocoa into their hands.  
"This is the Pearl of the Sea, the nicest place in Water Country. Or at least it USED to be," sighed the mermaid. "I'm the owner of this establishment. Just call me Min."  
"What happened here anyhow?" inquired Irma, downing half her cocoa in one gulp, feeling the heat sear her tongue and lips.  
"The Reversal happened," sighed Min as she returned to her duties behind the bar. "The chosen ones weren't fast enough, and due to some chaos magic, we're knee-deep in snow and ice. Everything's wrong right now. Up is down, the sun doesn't warm but chills…"  
"So we have to walk at night?" gaped Gwen. "Oh man…"  
"About the size of it," nodded Min. "Look kids, I don't want you going out there at least without something. C'mon, I can get some jackets made up at least."  
The day wore on, and the howling chilling wind grew even stronger. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, and Gwen jumped at the sound of the strike just miles away. "Whoa, that's insane. That isn't normal, is it?"  
Min shook her head. "No, it isn't. You see, this place used to be an island, surrounded by water. Everywhere you looked it was a tropical paradise. But since the Reversal was forced into place, we had to adapt quickly."  
"You said this place went under a Reversal, but the Regeneration was being worked on. What happened?" inquired Irma.  
"Some kind of magic, alien and foreign spread across Echo from several rifts. The sisters call it Chaos Magic. With the wild magic at its apex, the change came abruptly. Landscapes changed, weather patterns adjusted, and the worlds connected to Echo were changed without warning." Min sighed. "You two should get some rest. Tomorrow, you're headed for Frostmourne Peak, the highest point that connects this place to Hero City, formerly known as Fifth Element."

=====

"Here," said Aang, pointing at the mountain before them. "That's where we're headed. From there, the locals said that we'll reach Hero City."  
Omi shielded his eyes and stared up through the visor that was given to him. Aang seemed unperturbed by the chill of the day as they trudged through the ice and snow.  
"I most certainly hope that our friends are all right," said Omi after a while spent walking. "I would be very upset if they did not make it out."  
"I'm sure they're fine," said Aang, pausing to get his bearings before they continued to trudge through the storm that was beginning to worsen. "I've only known Katara for a while, but she's a strong woman and an excellent Waterbender. I'd have been proud to learn from her, barring that I'm so much older and completely mastered it months ago." To this, he chuckled a little. "What about you Omi? What sort of things can you do with the water?"  
"Oh, many things," said Omi promptly. "I have been training for years at the temple, mastering the art of kung fu and jeet kune do, as well as several other arts that are dominant to our style. For this, I have been training as the Dragon of Water, a powerful level of warrior in our sect of monks."  
Aang smiled. "Really? Wow, you and I have a lot in common. I was raised in the Air Nomad temples. Traveled the world when I found out I was the Avatar. Made a few friends, Bumi who is now King of Omashu, and Kuzon of the Fire Nation who is now a great general and peacekeeper."  
"Oh? It's a good thing to have friends," agreed Omi. "What were they like?"  
Aang grinned widely. "Well Kuzon and I always got into trouble in the kitchens, stealing food, running rampant. And Bumi? Bumi is a mad genius. He designed the delivery slides of Omashu into earthbending rides. Of course, they're strong benders in their own right. I think, despite the labels people put on me, Kuzon is the best current master of the Flowing Dragon-style, set down by Fire Lord Iroh, and Bumi is just the strongest Earthbender you'd ever meet. I gotta say, that they could take me on and beat me into the ground if we stuck with Fire to Fire or Earth to Earth competitions."  
Omi nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "When I first met my friends, I thought them beneath me as they were unskilled, untrained and strangers. Now, after three years, I finally realize that they are the only people whom I would be proud to call my closest companions. Even Jack Spicer, as most strange as it sounds, has become a constant in my life."  
"It's good to have people. And look – we've made it."  
Towering overhead was the spire known as Frostmourne Mountain. A huge jagged spire with a winding path carved into the side of the ice and coated with stone lead to the top which was very high above. And when it seemed to be that the spire would stretch forever, high above, floating in the clouds was a huge city, a ringed gate. Three other landmasses connected to Hero City, the thundering purple rocks of the Gravity Country, the high jungle-like quality of the Wood Country, and the rolling plains of the Thunder Country, its storms striking and churning like a tempest.  
"That… is very high up," said Omi. Then Aang picked him up. "Hey!"  
"We'll be climbing for weeks if we take the long route," said Aang as he stamped the ground beneath him. "This way, we'll bend our way up, surf all the way to the summit. Hold on tight!"  
Aang pushed chi into his legs and the pair exploded forward.

=====

"The ice steamer will take us to the summit shortly," said Katara as she watched Martin lean over the side. The boat, or rather the large flying fish-like boat was making good progress. They had found the port city of Albion and had managed to get tickets for the trip there. "Are you okay?"  
Martin looked up, a little green in the expression as he waved wearily. "Just a little air-sick," he said faintly. "To think that I fly and throw lightning everywhere, and I can't seem to stay on a boat for too long."  
Katara nodded, feeling a little sympathetic for him as Martin lost his lunch over the edge. "Maybe you should get some rest in our cabin," she suggested. "We're headed through Lightning Country, so the weather will get worse as we go along."  
Martin shook his head. "Naw, that's why we booked the roundabout trip, right? Lightning rejuvenates me. Being in storms and nasty weather recharges my batteries, gives me strength and all. I'll be fine once we hit the first squall."  
"If you say so." Leaning over the edge of the ship, Katara watched the ice and snow of Ice Country vanish rapidly as they moved into the savannah-like appearance of Thunder Country. Already, a storm was beginning to brew dead ahead, and the ice steamer was planning on traveling through it.  
The logistics of the ride escaped Katara due to its highly scientific nature, but Martin broke it down a little for her. The ice steamer gathered energy from the electrical storms along the path, using that electricity to superheat the ice blocks in the engines, thus producing steam in order to run the steamer across the Sky Rails.  
As the weather began to get heavier, Martin seemed to drink in the moisture, and the amount of electric current. The passenger lights went on and an announcement came over the radio. _Attention everyone, this is your captain speaking. We are approaching the Storm Horizon. For your own safety, please stay indoors in the recreation rooms if you are not of the Lightning Element._  
Thunder crashed and lightning split the sky as Martin held out his hands to either side, letting the wind and rain buffet his face. Lightning split the sky right next to the rails and a tendril leaped out to strike Martin. Katara shrieked and jumped back instinctively, but the Regent was unharmed.  
More lightning strikes hit the tower, as well as Martin and the green pallor of his face faded. Opening his eyes and taking his glasses off, his eyes crackled with lightning as they glowed with white light. "There we go," he said, putting his glasses back on as the lightning faded from his eyes and the timber of his voice returned to normal. "I hope that didn't scare you."  
Katara swallowed. "It sort of did. I've never seen someone just stand in the open, taking the lightning. How did it strike you anyhow?"  
"Magnetic field," explained Martin. "It's what causes my energies to gravitate around me. Basically I charge the air so that it attracts lightning around me, and I can absorb the energy of a strike or the residual charge in a storm. Does that make sense?"  
"A little," admitted Katara. "So now what?"  
"Now we wait for the ship to dock at Frostmourne Mountain, so we can make the rest of the journey," said Martin. "And let's hope that nothing bad is waiting for us there when we get to Hero City."

=====

"FINALLY!" proclaimed Irma as she and Gwen stepped out into the cold air atop Frostmourne Mountain. A long ice bridge separated them from the gates of Hero City, and behind there was hopefully the people they wanted to see the most.  
"Good thing we caught a caravan on the way here," remarked Gwen, bundling up in her thick jacket. "It shaved a long walk off our trip."  
"Yeah." Tucking a lock of hair away behind her ear, Irma bravely strode onto the large ice bridge. "C'mon Gwen, we need to get in there before the day is over. Or we'll have a rough time finding the rest of our team."  
The route from Frostmourne to Hero City's southern gate was packed with people of all types. Guards stood at attention, flanking in ceremonial duty as they headed into the city.  
Once inside the gates, the entire environment seemed to change on the pair. A huge futuristic style greeted them; monorails pulled by engines with eyes were zipping everywhere. Creatures and people of all types visited the vendors and shops and trendy boutiques. Tiny dogs and cats played in the streets.  
"So this is Hero City," said Gwen. "Wow, look at it all."  
"I'm impressed," agreed Irma. "Now all we need to do is find the others in this mess, provided they've arrived here already."  
The pair wandered down the streets, often pausing to look at exotic wares. Once or twice they messed around with items or were called into the shops by enthusiastic shopkeepers who merely smiled and herded them along. All of them said one thing however – visit the Tower.  
Having gotten a map, Irma peered over it as she sipped a brew that was obviously alcoholic, but she didn't care since it warmed her bones. And her powers would keep the worst of it off her mind. "So we're here," said Irma, tapping the southern part of Hero City. "And by what people were saying is that we need to head over here, to the Guilds Building. There, we can inquire with the two Clans on a missing persons case."  
"So the Clans are the police force here," mused Gwen. "We should look into it. Despite a lot of people looking like humans here and there, the others should stick out like sore thumbs."  
"Yeah, let's just hope they're friendly."  
In the center of the town stood a pair of towers, one red; one blue in color. Monorails spun around them in a looping fashion as people streamed in and out of the buildings. The entry hall was massive as well, showcasing a pair of tall statues. To the left stood a heroic-like figure, clad in armour with his arms folded. To the right was a sort of scary looking figure, wings wrapped around him as he glared upon the world.  
"Cree-py," intoned Irma, looking at the bat-like creature.  
"According to the plaque, this guy is Plasma, the Dark Knight." Read off Gwen before crossing over to the other plaque. "And this guy here is Captain Gold, the Man of Gold."  
"Wow, what a cultural crossover that is," dead-panned Irma. "Echo has its own Superman and Batman."  
Gwen snickered a little before she pulled Irma towards the front desk. At the front, a young looking girl with a big floppy magician's hat looked up. "Hi-yoo" she warbled. "How can I help you?"  
"Hi, we're looking for four of our friends who might have arrived here before us," said Irma. "Can you run a search for any of them?"  
The little girl stuck a finger in her mouth, thought for a moment before she brought up a terminal. A series of cards were moved about in the terminal and then she tapped the front of it. "Your friends' names?"  
"Omi, Aang, Katara and Martin," said Gwen.  
"One moment please." Her fingers started to dance across the screen, moving and shifting cards about at a rapid pace. And then, finally, she poked one of them and the card dispatched in front of them. "Aang and Omi have been registered as Elemental Heroes while Katara and Martin have registered as Destiny Heroes. You may find them on red and blue tower, level five, room 313."  
"What's all that about registering?" inquired Irma. "Sounds sort of strict."  
"Oh no, that's done of their own will. Seems that they wanted to make a little money to rent a place, and the fastest way to do that is to work in file shifting for either of the Clans," answered the little girl. "Would you two like to register?"  
"Er, we'll pass for now. Can we see our friends?"  
"Of course! Take the card dispensed from the slot and use it as your keycard for the towers. Thanks for coming! Next please!"  
"Well? Where to first?" inquired Gwen.  
"I'm thinking we'll see Aang and Omi first," said Irma. "We'll pop by the others as soon as possible."

=====

"Hey Omi," said Aang as he placed the large books down. "Give me a hand, will you?"  
"Oh, I am so sorry, I drifted off again," said Omi before he vaulted down to the floor from where he stood at the window.  
"Thinking about the others? It's been nearly a week since Katara and Martin arrived, so we're still waiting for Irma and Gwen."  
Omi shrugged. "I was looking at the Furthest Tower."  
Aang sighed. "It does look foreboding, doesn't it? I know that we're not allowed to go near it and people clam up when you talk about it."  
Omi nodded. "I know. But I cannot help myself. Something about the tower reminds me of home."  
Just then, the elevator dinged and discharged Gwen and Irma. Omi's expression lit up. "You're here!"  
"Hey, Cueball," grinned Irma, poking him in the head. "You miss us?"  
"Hi, Aang," said Gwen, waving as Aang smiled and waved back. "Did you guys arrive first?"  
"Yeah about three weeks ago. We were thrown here by Sanders, so our journey was pretty close," Aang replied. "I don't know what's going on, but we haven't heard anything about that Sanders guy since then."  
"Katara and Martin are in the other tower," said Omi. "Now that we are all together, we can't possibly lose! You have your water right?"  
Irma held up the water bottle, the silver liquid floating around. "Yeah, never went anywhere without it."  
"Great. We'll have to head for the Wellspring and complete the ritual then," said Aang. "I'm tired of moving boxes and books," he added with a laugh.

=====

"The Wellspring? Oh dear, the Wellspring's been closed off for months now," said the girl at the desk. "Would you like to try something else?"  
"But we can't stop now," insisted Katara. "Without us, the Regeneration can't be completed!"  
"This was so much easier when there was a trial at the doors," grumbled Irma.  
"Maybe this IS our trial?" inquired Gwen.  
"Mrgh," replied Irma.  
"Please, it is a matter of uttermost emergency. We must be able to see the Wellspring. Please!" pleaded Omi, his expression growing cute.  
The girl crumbled a little. "Well I suppose. But it's going to need a large permit. The Wellspring was once the source of all magical water in the land, the Water Element itself. But since the Furthest Tower went up over it, we haven't seen anything down there since."  
"What IS the Furthest Tower? People just keep avoiding the topic," said Aang.  
The girl looked hesitant and then sighed. "The Furthest Tower is the headquarters of the Evil Heroes, the darker side of Hero City."  
"So they're villains," summed up Irma. "We can deal with that."  
"You don't understand. Since they got their hands on the Wellspring, their powers have increased. What's worse, some of the old Heroes of the Elementals have turned to their cause. And they say that there's a leader much stronger than any of their people. They call him Caius the Shadow Monarch."  
"What can you tell us about the Monarchs?" inquired Katara. "From records, there's only four, right?"  
"We thought at first that to be true," admitted the girl. "Mobius the Frost, Granmarg the Wood, Thestalos the Gravity, Zaborg the Thunder. But lately, more Monarchs have awoken, ones that we believe to be older energies. Raiza the Storm rules the skies, constantly fighting with Zaborg the Thunder. And with Caius the Shadow said to rule the Evil Heroes, we can't be certain if there's more at stake."  
"So… I guess it's hero time," summed up Gwen, startling the others with her statement. "Think about it. If we're going to break into a supervillain lair, we're going to have do this fast and hard."  
"In and out before anyone sees us," agreed Katara. "Do we have a plan?"  
"Tunnels," suggested Aang. "There's some old tunnels that stretch underneath the Furthest Tower. We can use those to sneak in."  
"Good idea, but we'll need a distraction," mused Katara.  
"I vote Martin and Omi," said Irma, slapping Martin on the back. "They've got the fastest moves out of all of us."  
"Agreed," nodded Aang. "You two all right with that?"  
Martin nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about us, we can take care of ourselves. Right, Omi?"  
"Most certainly. We will show these villains what is coming at them!"

=====

"Count of ten, count of ten," inhaled Martin as he and Omi stood on a building overlooking Furthest Tower. "All right, I'm ready."  
Reaching to his back, Martin gripped thin air and came out with the long-shafted weapon of his Regent form. "SING MOLJINR!"  
Crackling thunder erupted from the weapon, bathing the skinny teenager in lightning. When it subsided, a tall blonde man dressed in fur and leather stood, holding his weapon with both hands. A grin was on Thorleif's face. "You ready for this?"  
Omi, whose expression was wide, grinned. "I am so ready!" Six dots appeared on his forehead and he yelled, "WUDAI NEPTUNE – WATER!"  
An explosion of water burst forth from his hands, scoring a long hit across the side of the jagged building.  
Thorleif wound up and struck, his lightning blast electrifying the waters trail and causing several panels of the gothic looking tower to blow out.  
"You think that got their attention?" inquired Thorleif needlessly.  
Before Omi could answer however, a hail of feathers tore through the spot where they had been standing as a dark green form darted in, arm talons swooping down to take a chunk out of Omi.  
Omi blocked the attack, his entire body glowing with ice. "Ha!" he proclaimed, whipping around his leg and cracking the attacker across the face.  
Featherman skidded backwards, holding the side of his face. Spitting out a tooth, he growled, "You hit hard. For a brat."  
Omi smirked, and using one of the lines that Aang taught him, retorted. "You move fast, for an old man."  
Moljinr swung, batting away the blasts of flame that were soaring at him from a woman dressed in crimson red. "You should not be here," she said simply.  
"I'd beg to differ," replied Thorleif smartly. "Come on then, where's the evil monologue?"  
"I don't do monologue." A larger burst of flame erupted forward and Thorleif countered with a blast of lightning. The energies met and exploded, bathing the area in light as the woman flinched.  
"Tiger Strike!" roared Omi, slamming his knee into Featherman's chest as he spared a glance towards Thorleif. "My companion and I fight well, which is less of which to say for you."  
Featherman scowled. "Burstinatrix, c'mere!"  
Burstinatrix took the moment to throw a large spread of fireballs at Thorleif before she joined Featherman's side. "They're proving to be an annoyance, wouldn't you agree?"  
Burstinatrix glared at Featherman. "Shut up and let's do this."  
Holding out their hands, palm outwards, a seething energy erupted around the hands before they slammed them together. **"Dark Fusion."**  
The pair shielded their faces as a black light erupted from the pair. "Aw crap," grumbled Thorleif.  
"What's going on?" inquired Omi.  
"Fusion. I hate fusion people. Hit them now, Omi!"  
"WUDAI NEPTUNE – ICE!"  
"HOWL MOLJINR!"  
Twinned blasts of ice and lightning struck where the fusion was taking place. For a long moment, the pair held their breath as the dust settled.  
Then…  
Burstinatrix and Featherman fell to the ground, out cold.  
Thorleif let out a loud sigh of relief. "Oh man, that's a relief. I thought for a moment that they'd be fused by the time we attacked them!"  
 **You mean like we are right now?**  
Thorleif and Omi turned to see a giant flaming black ball of fire hurl at them. "GET DOWN!"  
Everything exploded into black fire.

=====

"I hope they're okay," said Gwen as she, Irma, Katara and Aang snuck through the bowels of the underground system. "How much further?"  
"A little more by the map," replied Aang. Then, he stopped short, holding up a hand. "Quiet."  
At first, nothing could be heard, only the dripping of water. But the dripping of water was the tip off as the smell of ozone suddenly became strong. Aang suddenly bent the earth beneath them, just for a burst of lightning to strike the stone wall.  
"What the hell?!" demanded Irma as more shots of lightning erupted from the darkness, followed by chunks of earth hurled at them. Katara whipped into action, quite literally as she bent water into shields and whips to cut down the attacks.  
"You two! Get a move on and take the water with you! We'll handle things here," ordered Aang.  
"C'mon, Gwen," said Irma as she pulled Gwen down the side route, leaving Katara and Aang to deal with their attackers.  
From the darkness, a large form rose, stocky and round-headed. "We have… guests," intoned the giant in the tunnel, his speech slow.  
"An astute deduction, my slow witted friend," said the owner of the lightning, a man dressed in blue and gold, both of it darker in hue than normal. "What my monosyllabic friend means to say is this; 'welcome to the show, o heroes'. I am Sparkman and this giant of a man is Clayman."  
"So you two are the defectors," said Katara. "The ones who joined the Evil Heroes."  
"Oh marvellous, you know of us already," smiled Sparkman under his helm. "Make no mistake, there are many of us heroes around, but only some have true vision. Yes, very true vision. Clayman, be a good man and hold out your hand."  
Clayman lifted a hand and darkness formed around it. Sparkman lifted his own hand and his lightning was replaced by pitch black electricity. "Don't blink now," he said jovially as they met their hands together.  
Aang and Katara had a moment to shield themselves as the darkness erupted from their joined hands, and a loud booming voice proclaimed, **"BLACK THUNDER!"**  
The lightning slammed up against a shield that Aang put up, but it was so much stronger than before. "That… was close," he said, peeking out from behind the earth wall. "Uh oh."  
"Uh oh? What do you mean 'uh oh'? NOTHING good comes after 'uh oh'! Sokka says it WAY TOO MUCH to be any good!"  
"Let's just put it this way – RUN!"

=====

"SHIT!" yelled Irma as the ceiling came down upon the pair as she and Gwen scampered along the tunnels. But before the large stone slab could crush the pair, there was a burst of green light and the stone met its match. Looking up at Gwen, who was now a four-armed alien, Four-Arms, Irma let out a gust of air. "Wow, cut that any closer?"  
"I was hoping to avoid it really," replied Gwen as she helped Irma to her feet. "C'mon, only fifty meters to go!"  
The pair raced through the tunnel system at top speed. Rounding the corner, a large steel door stood there. "Uh, door?"  
"Door? Where we're going we don't need DOORS."  
The door exploded off its hinges as Gwen bashed her way through it via brute strength, skidding to a halt as Irma nearly ran headlong into her. "Sorry," she apologized. "But look!"  
There, sitting in the middle of a natural cave formation was a glowing pool of water, its entire surface lit up with glowing pale blue light. It reflected across the crystalline formations, bathing the entire room in color. "Awesome," said Irma, unhooking the water bottle, the vial and the water skin from her belt.  
"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" inquired Gwen curiously as Irma started to uncap the items.  
"We should, but we need to get this done. I'm sure it'll be fine."  
"And that's where I make my cue," smirked a damningly familiar voice as Kunel Sanders slipped through the shadows and alighted on the top of the water. "Come now," he said as Gwen and Irma got into fighting stances. "You two have made it this far. What's a little time to wait a while?"  
"Now I get it," said Gwen. "The reason why we were brought here, myself, Aang and Martin. You were using US to get them HERE. With the water."  
"Very good," clapped Sanders. "Yes, I planned it; every little detail. You must admit it's remarkable what people will do when motivated to succeed."  
"You wanted the water from the three most magical places on our worlds, so you made a show of attacking us. And then when we were overconfident…" Irma scowled. "You wanted us to bring this water here. Why?"  
"Why? Why not? You see, when this world is Regenerated, I'll have everything to gain, and your friends will lose everything. There's two types of worlds, one that consumes, and one that gives. Your world, the TrueWorld is a consumer, dragging the power of the elements between itself and other worlds, like a system vying for mana. When the Chaos Magic twisted this world into a world that GIVES, well… imagine the possibilities."  
"And lose everything?" inquired Gwen.  
"Nothing to gain, everything to lose. The Reverse Rebirth will be Reversed for a lack of a better term. You will forget everything, nay, cease to EXIST. That is the purpose of this Regeneration – to prevent your people from existing."  
"That's got to be a lie," hissed Irma. "C'mon Gwen, back me up on this!"  
"…"  
"Gwen?"  
"What if he's right?" said Gwen softly. "Ben always claimed he knew what was RIGHT in this world. What if, Sanders is right? When this is over with, I will forget, and cease to exist. Everything that makes Gwen 10 is GONE. In a blink of an eye."  
"No, he can't be," insisted Irma. "We won't let it happen. No one will."  
"But can you be sure?" said Sanders smugly. "After all, you don't know what will happen when you pour the water into the Wellspring. It could very well damn the existence of an entire world; a world that was created by a puff of Chaos itself."  
"YOU! Shut your pie hole!" snapped Irma as she turned to Gwen. "Gwen, I promise, nothing will happen. YOU know in your heart that this guy is lying. We need to complete the Regeneration. You can trust me, right? We've made our way here, together, for nearly a week. We know what's going to happen. Everything will be set right, and we'll still remember."  
"… I don't know… give me a moment to think…" said Gwen.  
"You'd best make up your mind," said Sanders as two more doors opened up, and twin giants placed the limp bodies of their friends on the ground. "But choose wisely. After all – shooting is not too good for my enemies."  
"Don't you even think about it," growled Irma. "What are you, some kind of Evil Overlord?"  
"Hardly." Snapping his fingers, one of the giants picked up Katara – and shot her in the head. Katara was blown away from the force, spraying blood across the crystals.  
Irma shrieked as the gunshot rang out and Gwen stumbled backwards, horrified. Sanders smiled as he held up a hand, an ankh appearing from it. Golden light spread over Katara's limp form and she stirred, reaching a hand to wipe the blood away from her face. "Wha…?"  
The same giant gripped her shoulder and hefted her to her feet. "You have one minute to decide," said Sanders. "Either you give me the water, or she dies. Over and over again."  
"ENOUGH!" screeched Irma. "I'll… I'll give you your damn water."  
"You can't," whispered Omi from where he had begun to rouse, but was stepped on by the other giant. "If you do… horrible things will happen."  
"Yeah, don't worry about us," added Aang, managing to give a thumbs up from where he was being pinned to the floor. He too had roused when the gunshot rang out, and despite his smile, was full of burning hatred for the man who ordered Katara's death, if temporary.  
"Don't even think about it," ordered Katara, shaking her head. "I can handle dying. If it's what it takes to keep the water from him…"  
"Tick tock, tick tock," chanted Sanders.  
"Irma, don't do it," said Thorleif. "I believe in you."  
Gwen looked over at Irma. Silently, she placed a hand on her friends shoulder and squeezed it.  
"Doo de doo doo do BUM BUM," chanted Sanders. "So, what's it going to be? Salvation or being shot like a dog?"  
Irma raised the waters, staring at Sanders in the eye. "You know what? Shooting like a dog is so yesterday." And with that, she threw the water from the Fountain of Youth and the water from the Spirit Oasis towards their owners – and took a swig of the silver water. "Let's dance, bozo."  
"Ah, so they opt for oblivion," said Sanders, caught off guard as the captives broke free. Fire, Ice, Water, Air and Earth danced in a vicious fight. Black Flame and Black Lightning erupted from the twinned mixed giants, their expressions nothing but rage.  
"WUDAI NEPTUNE – TWISTER!" roared Omi, spinning about with water propelling him forward, spikes of ice erupting from his wrists as he ploughed right into the Lightning Golem, Aang rising right behind him with bolts of searing flame following Omi's strike as he flipped high and away from the Giant who toppled over.  
Lightning and water mixed, exploding in a thunderous detonation as Katara and Thorleif fought against the Inferno Wing. Inferno sprayed the area with flame, but it met a giant sheet of ice that erupted, gushing from the Wellspring itself. Thorleif gathered lightning and struck the ground with the butt end of the hammer. Lightning crackled and struck Inferno, taking it out in an instant.  
Gwen and Irma rushed Sanders, Gwen pulverizing the ground to shatter it as Irma condensed the water around her and blasted it forward, showering Sanders with spears of rock and water. The power of the silver water augmenting her strength, Irma's blast of water was like it came from a high pressure hose. Sanders growled and erected a shield to ward off the attack, but then was struck from behind as Aang arose behind him, floating.  
"Hey, peek-a-boo," intoned Aang as he gripped the air around Sanders. Sanders was hurled towards the ground where Gwen caught him by the face and slammed him into the ground. Punting him like a football, towards Omi, Omi launched him into the air with a cry of "VIPER STRIKE!"  
Sanders flew upwards, limp from the attack. But then, he growled, his arms bulging with infused strength as he opened his eyes. "FOOLISH!" he roared, spinning about and firing a huge blast of gravity at them, pinning the group to the ground with the force of the impact. In his other hand, a flaming ball of energy grew. "You think I'll even let you live after manhandling me like that?"  
 _We beg to differ._  
Suddenly, Sanders was frozen, caught in time as five beings appeared, tall and powerful and dressed in outfits of certain colors.  
 **You cannot be permitted to interfere anymore,** intoned Thestalos, his voice loud and booming.  
 _You have no place here, o lord of darkness,_ whispered Mobius, his voice cool as the ice itself.  
For too long we have let you run rampant, crackled Zaborg, his voice like the buzzing of high voltage.  
 _  
**And too long have we ignored your actions,**   
_ rumbled Granmarg, his voice deep as the crackling and shifting of ancient trees.  
The last, Raiza of the Storms, looked at the struggling Sanders, and his statement was lost on the wind.  
 _So it is settled_ , whispered Mobius. _Go to sleep, o lord of the darkness. For a year and a day, you will slumber. Be at peace, once more._  
Sanders stopped struggling as he suddenly fell asleep. The Giant and the Inferno vanished into mists. And the five monarchs looked at the six assembled there.  
 **Children of the Water, **boomed Thestalos, **We have been watching you all this time. You struggle, to right what has been wronged.**  
 ** _This world, this Reverse Rebirth, was never meant to exist,_** creaked Granmarg. **_But it is here, all the same. We, the five monarchs, will maintain this world, for the boundaries between the TrueWorld and the Reverse Rebirth, has shown us that forever possibilities will be created._**  
 _We, as in our brethren, will restore the world to it's original form, but first, a boon is to be given in exchange,_ said Zaborg, his voice distorted. _Partake of the water, drink but half of it._  
Carefully, the three took the water and sipped down half of it exactly.  
 _Now, children of the Reverse Rebirth, drink of the water that is given to you,_ whispered Mobius.  
"Bottoms up?" said Aang, toasting the others as he, Thorleif and Gwen sipped from the water.  
The wind suddenly began to pick up around the three Children of Water. The earth shook, fire danced, and water crashed upwards from the Wellspring.  
Gravity grew heavy, trees erupted around them, lightning struck and ice solidified from the Wellspring.  
An explosion of power erupted around them as the world danced about them, spinning and swirling around them. Images, places, people were shown. Translucent bodies separated from the six who basked in the powers that were being pulled apart and rebuilt around them.  
The light spread across the world. No one would remember it. But everyone knew it was right.  
And when the light died down, the four sisters stood next to the four giant monarchs, a fifth woman standing there in the middle. She was dressed in an elaborate headdress, and her outfit was made of shimmering silver that swept about her body. The fifth monarch, Raiza, had changed shape as well, growing into a massive form. A majestic, regal form with glowing orbs of energy around his body, he was like a pillar of stone who gazed down upon them. The sun was shining and they were standing atop a high tower in the middle of Hero City. High above, the sky was split into night and day, exactly half and half.  
"You guys did it!" grinned Hiita, walking over and giving them rough hugs as her sisters followed behind. "We knew this was the right ones, right girls?"  
"The possibility of you completing the ritual of regeneration was a thousand to one, so better odds than usual," replied Aussa, her expression amused.  
"And like you were betting against that," snorted Eria. "Wrynn, you're crying?"  
Wrynn was all teary as she grabbed all six in a huge hug. "I'M JUST SO HAPPY WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS! WHAAAAAAHHHHH!"  
"Same old Wrynn," sighed Hiita. "Hey, everyone. I'd like to you meet the Queen of Fifth Element."  
The young lovely woman nodded. "It is good to see that you have all completed the ritual," she said, smiling brightly. "I am Doriado, Mistress of the Elements. The one who stands with the Monarchs is Reshef, Master of the Reverse Rebirth."  
"So everything's back to normal?" inquired Irma. "That's it?"  
"That's it," nodded Doriado, smiling.  
"But… doesn't this mean that our worlds are, well, gone? Or put back to normal?" inquired Gwen.  
"Ah, but there's a hitch," said Eria, smiling. "You see, when you drank the water from the most powerful holy places on the worlds, you shared your power with the others. You see, Reverse Rebirth and TrueWorld is like a mirror, you know, reflected. You will be able to go back to your own world."  
"But what happens when we return without the people we left?" inquired Aang. "That can't look good on my record."  
Doriado pointed to the line that separated the world. Reflected in the darkness of the night were the same six people. Omi looked over, peered at himself, himself peering back.  
"… I'm not going to risk poking myself again," stated Omi, drawing back and earning a laugh from everyone.  
"When you return to your own worlds, your own reflected souls will be there, waiting for you. You are you no matter what world you are in," explained Wrynn, sniffling. "There will always, and will be yourself who experienced these events in either world."  
"So we've got… clones?" inquired Irma. "'Kay. I can live with that."  
"A little more complex than that, but that's the 'basic' idea," said Aussa.  
"Now then, it is time to go. Do not worry, for those who you touch the lives of, a connection is made." Doriado pointed towards the reflection where herself was pointing.  
"Can we have one more minute?" inquired Katara.  
Doriado nodded and the six trundled off to the side.  
"I guess this goodbye then," said Aang to Katara. "I really had fun, you know, despite everything."  
"Same actually," said Katara. "Looking at it, I could really stay with you forever Aang. You know, because we're friends and all."  
Aang smiled, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "If I were several years younger, I wouldn't mind," he said softly.  
As Katara blushed fiercely, Aang headed for the reflection. "WAIT!" called out Katara suddenly and Aang stopped. "How…?"  
"How did I stop the Fire Lord?" said Aang. He turned, a brilliant smile on his face. "Make sure I find a giant Lion-Turtle when the time comes. I'll know what to do then."  
Aang stepped through, and his reflection did the same, flickering into a brilliant light that vanished.  
"I guess it's my time to go too," said Thorleif, returning to his original form. "You going to be okay, Irma?"  
"… just go, Martin. Before I get teary," said Irma.  
Martin smiled, and headed for the reflection. But then, Irma grabbed him in a hug from behind. "Take care of yourself," she whispered.  
"I will, you can count on that," whispered Martin as he untangled himself from Irma, stepping backwards into his reflection.  
"And then there was one," said Gwen. "Irma, Omi, Katara, I've been introduced to a world more open than anything I've ever seen before. Magic, aliens, creatures and people from other planets. And another world, hovering next to ours. I won't forget anyone. I promise."  
"Take care!" called out Omi, waving and tearing up as Gwen waved before leaping into her reflection.  
One by one, the Monarchs slipped through the reflection, followed by the giant Reshef. And then, when Reshef slipped through his reflection, the world was covered in light.****

********

=====

"CHOO!"  
"Bless you," said Trill. "My lady, I've brought up food."  
"Oh, thank you," said Elyon. "Darn, I didn't get the spell right."  
"Practice again?" inquired Trill.  
"Maybe. Oh well, maybe next year."  
Trill nodded, sneaking a peek at the book. _What did Phobos plan with that spell? It's too haphazard. Is he trying to bring the entire world down around his ears?_

=====

"Crossworld… hey!"  
Bean tackled Raimundo with the intent of stealing the Crossworld Cutters, but then with a vicious boot to the head, Hannibal Bean was kicked across the yard as Caleb helped Raimundo to his feet. "Hey, need a hand? Your friend and I worked out our differences."  
"If you mean pounding each other, then yes," grumbled Clay, nursing a shiner.  
"Feh. I'll get you next time!" yelled Bean, shrinking in size and soaring off on the Ying-Ying bird.  
"If I had a quarter for every time someone said that," mused Raimundo, tucking the shears into his pockets.  
"You'd be stinkin' rich?" inquired Clay.  
"Huh? Naw, I was thinking we could order for pizza more," laughed Raimundo. "Hey, sorry about the mistake man. I'm Rai, and this is Clay."  
"Caleb. Nice to meet you two. Hey, we're headed for Heatherfield's annual Halloween party. Want to come along?"

=====

"—and there's candy and… Omi, are you listening?"  
Omi looked up at Kimiko, then down at his sack of sugary loot, and then a wide smile spread across his face. "Yep! I think I'll be alright!"  
"Okay… nuff sugar for you. In any case, let's hit that party everyone's headed to!"

=====

"Irma! Martin's behind you. Want us to Loon Deflect?" inquired Cornelia.  
"Huh what now?" Irma looked up and at Martin. Something was different. Something…  
And Irma smiled. "Naw, Corny. I got this one."  
Threading towards Martin, she poked him on the nose. "You look good."  
"Well, I felt like something different," Martin admitted, adjusting the tight leather pants. "I sort of messed up the tuxedo for your Sailor Mercury outfit and well…"  
Irma smiled, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Tuxedo Mask belongs with Sailor Moon anyhow. Not Mercury. Today you can be my Thorleif."  
"I'd like that," said Martin and the pair walked off.  
Cornelia, Will, Hay Lin and Taranee tilted their heads in unison. "Did we miss something?" inquired Will curiously.

=====

"I never thought I'd miss the campsite," sighed Katara as she stared out over the river. "Everything seems so… wonderful."  
"Hey Katara, are you okay?" asked Aang, poking his head over her shoulder. "You've been quiet ever since supper."  
"Sit down Aang. I got something to tell you."  
"What, here?" Aang sat down. "So what's up?"  
"Ever wonder… what could happen if there was another you?"

=====

EPILOGUE:

**I'm anxious but I can't say anything I'm tired of swimming, even you've become silent**

"Today, Meridian is FREE of Phobos!"  
Wild cheering erupted around the people assembled in the castle as celebrations rocked the courtyard. Queen Elyon smiled, beaming with the light she was proclaimed to have as she added, "And we couldn't have done it, without the help of the Guardians of the Veil!"  
"Wow, this is a great party!" exclaimed Hay Lin as she and Yan Lin danced in the courtyard. "Where's the others?"  
"They're being occupied at the moment," laughed Will as she showed Matt around the courtyard. "Where's Taranee?"  
"Telling stories," grinned Cornelia, pointedly NOT looking at Caleb who was looking sheepish. Blunk was trailing behind trying to store food away into a passling-made bag.  
"Too bad the others couldn't make it. Didn't we get a letter from Katara?" inquired Irma.  
"Yeah. She sent it through Raimundo. She said that they're finally beginning to start the war against Ozai. I hope they'll be all right."  
"I'm sure they'll be fine. But we're here to help kick their ass. Right?" grinned Will.  
"RIGHT!"

=====

I want to see you, but an invisible wave pushes us Again, just a little more distance

"I'm Wang Fire," said Sokka, putting a deep growling tone in his voice. "And this is my wife, Sapphire Fire." Katara chuckled under her disguise. A dance party WAS something they needed, even though that the first notion of non-Fire Nation weirdness would have brought the people around their heads. Out there, Aang was dancing with On Ji.  
True enough, Fire Nation clothing was strange, if only from another perspective, but these four kids knew better. But they still owed Zuko the biggest righteous ass-beating when he stopped being so goddamn cocked up. For tonight however? They will dance.

=====

Try not to stop keep it going baby If you don't feel the same then tell me Even if your principle is to not try It's alright to try a little  
I wanna be with you now Let's shorten the distance with the two of us We can still make it on time We can start over We can't be as one

"In and out, Omi. The power comes from the breath. Good, very good."  
Omi lowered his hands as he looked at Chase Young. "I suppose I'm progressing well."  
"Still bummed about your friends sitting this out?" inquired Chase, a small smile on his face. "Don't worry. There's lots of stuff to do later on."  
"I know," grinned Omi. "They still cannot believe it."  
"That I'm your father? Patience Omi, they'll accept it sooner or later. After all, it's not every day I leave the side of evil willingly. Although that means a new stronger evil is about to take my place."  
"We will deal with it when the time comes. Can you show me that move again?" Chase laughed as he continued to instruct his son.

=====

I wanna be with you Someday even this distance We'll be able to embrace We can start sooner After all I wanna be with you  
You, who gets hurt with a single word taught me what loneliness is

"Guys, I just got word from the others!" yelled Dojo, running up. "The attack on the Fire Nation! It's in three hours!"  
"Holy crap, we gotta get moving," exclaimed Raimundo, standing. "Omi, get your dad. Kimiko, call Will and the others. The time is NOW. Today, the Fire Nation is going DOWN."

=====

When you can't protect me keep on trying baby It's not as I promised but trust me My principle is to not try but I would do it for you  
I wanna be with you now Look at our distance with the two of us We can still make it We can start over I want to tell you with words

"We failed."  
"Miserably at that."  
"Uh… hi guys? It's me… Zuko… ACK!"  
"ZUUUUUUU-KOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" roared Taranee and Kimiko, chasing the Prince of the Fire Nation around.  
"HEY! SAVE SOME FOR US! COME BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT TURNCOAT!" roared Katara, taking chase.  
"I'M SORRY, I REALLY AM!"  
"SORRY'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH YOU FLAMING DOUCHEBAG!"

=====

I wanna be with you now One day, even the distance I'll be able to embrace We should stay together After all, I need to be with you.

=====

**Two Years Later…**  
"Grandpa doesn't have the Omnitrix… I have it."

 

_**Fins** _

**Author's Note:**

> Published originally 8/13/2008 at Fanfiction dot Net  
> Republished 4/12/2019
> 
> Edited for grammar, spelling mistakes, html and other problems. I'd like to thank my friends who were very supportive and enjoyed this series for years following the massive exhaustion wrought on from the several years it took to release this story. You guys are the best.


End file.
